Rise of a Heavenly Demon
by Louis the Gator
Summary: Naruto becomes Doflamingo. Starts after the Chunin Exam Preliminaries and takes the Elemental Nations down a different path. Watch as Joker gathers his family and brings about the "New Era". Takes One Piece concepts and defines them with Naruto verse mechanics (no character eats a devil fruit). Rated M for use of real world psychological and scientific theories.
1. Masquerade

**IMPORTANT! This author's note describes the theory behind this story. Yes, I know it is long but if you read it you will be more prepared for what happens later! Thank you.**

I am a long time resident to this site and have read so many Fanfictions I've lost count. However, this is my first Fanfiction as a writer. So please forgive rookie mistakes and tell me how to fix them. I will respect a reviewer's thoughts and feelings so long as they respect mine and list complaints in a logical order. Constructive criticism is welcome. A review simply telling me that my story is thoughtless and hopeless does not help me as a writer. If you spot a typo please post it in a review.

This story has been in the back of my mind for almost 3 years and now upon entering the latest One Piece Arc, Dressrosa, I feel comfortable enough to begin writing it. This fanfiction will not be a Naruto finds a Devils Fruit. Naruto will end up with most of Doflamingo's character! I will be bringing Doflamingo's personality and ability into the Naruto universe with a plausible explanation, along with some of his friends. The basis of this fic is the difference between "intentions" and "perceptions".

Clinicians, the psychologist that a person would sit down with and talk to, and anyone in general can have the best intentions in the world towards someone else (be their friend, protect them from harm, etc.) but it does not amount to anything if that person does not perceive those intentions as positive.

First and foremost I am a Biopsychologist. This is defined as the "study of the biology of behavior." You can think of it as the crossing of Neuroscience and Psychology. If you want more information you can PM me or google them yourself (do not look up Freud he may have been the father of psychology, but I promise we have moved past him).

Now about me, I am in the middle of obtaining my bachelor's degree at a college in the continental United States and after that I will be going on to graduate school and hopefully on past that to receive a doctorate. I am heavily involved in research, as a research assistant, at my chosen university and did not simply make up the information that you will soon be reading.

**THIS IS NOT A BASHING FIC!** I am not interested in writing a story that simply draws characters through the mud with no character development. In the beginning it will seem kind of like bashing but I am going to do my best to keep as many character's as possible to their personalities in the manga. However this is pre-Shippuden, Naruto has absolutely no way of knowing that everyone is trying to protect him.

How Naruto turned out, a person with a heart of gold, given his upbringing is statistically unlikely. I'm simply capitalizing on that. This is Naruto's reaction to what he sees as his reality (to paraphrase Itachi)

**I do not own Naruto or One Piece; no money is made from this story.**

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"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome." - Albert Einstein

_Starts after the Chunin Final Preliminaries (Konoha Hospital)_

"_It is happening again,_" Naruto thought as he watched Kakashi leave. "_Why is it that I always come last_?" Turning to look at his new sensei, Ebisu, Naruto felt anger beginning to form in his gut. That anger only grew as a little voice in the back of his head said, "**The same reason as always demon.**" That word, heard so often in his childhood. A label he could not escape no matter how hard he tried. At first he did not understand why people hated him so. What had he done that had been so terrible that everyone would talk in hushed tones about him? Yet when confronted just glare and ignore him?

Then he found out. That fateful night when he learned he was the container of the Kyūbi. The monster that had destroyed Konohagakure and the Fourth Hokage had sealed in him. After learning about the Kyūbi, Naruto promised himself that he would prove them all wrong. That with work he could prove to more people that he was not the fox. Yet now standing in the middle of the hospital Naruto felt more alone than ever before and for what must have been the thousandth time Naruto thought, "why me?"

The Fourth had done more than trap the Kyūbi that night; he had damned Naruto in the process. The irony of discovering the man he had once idolized was responsible for his pain filled him with feelings he could not adequately describe: despair, confusion, and rage. Why had the Fourth chosen him to be the prison? Why not one of the countless other children his age? The Third Hokage said his parents loved him and that they had died on a mission.

If that was true why didn't't they object to the Fourth? If they loved him, why was he alone? Would both parents of a newborn really be sent out on a mission at the same time? Or if one parent died would the other not retire to take care of him? Why did they leave him? The same questions were always on Naruto's mind. The third was no help. He loved the old man but anytime the topic of his parents came up the Third shut down and simply gave Naruto a look of pity. It was obvious the Third knew more than he was letting on.

Naruto may not have been the smartest of his generation, but he was the most observant. He had to be.

The adults all knew of his burden and they blamed him for it. Granted they never physically touched him, but that did not lessen the pain. Words are just as powerful a weapon as a kunai or jutsu and the effects they have last far longer. A cut will heal with time. Yet when people constantly assault a child with words it is only a matter of time before he starts to believe them. When he was younger he had believed them. He thought he had done something. He had tried apologizing, for the unknown transgression, but that only seemed to make people angrier.

Isolated, Naruto had to learn silently from the sidelines. Learn by observation instead of interaction. A child learns by copying his or her environment. They mirror the movement of an adult's mouth to form words; they rely on social interaction to learn how to behave; and finally they rely on those that cared for them for protection and guidance. Naruto was alone, even before he had been kicked out of the orphanage at 6 years old. He had been on his own.

Isolated from everyone and forced to learn all by himself, Naruto had become very good at observing others. This awareness only grew with time Such as, being able to gauge emotion by the movement of facial muscles. This ability helped significantly after being kicked out of the orphanage because he could discern when to approach a shop owner to purchase food or other supplies.

Yes, when the third Hokage had learned he had been kicked out of the orphanage he had been angry. Yet all the old man had done was give him a rundown apartment in an abandoned building and a monthly allowance that was barely enough money to live hand to mouth. He could read, do basic math and he could write. The little time the Hokage could spare was spent teaching Naruto these basics and Naruto had loved every minute of it. The Hokage especially enjoyed commenting on how quickly Naruto could learn new things when he set his mind to it.

Yet, that love of learning would not last. Upon entering the academy, Naruto had quickly learned that teachers hated him just as much as everyone else. It did not matter how hard he tried he got the grade the teachers thought he deserved. He remembered studying all night for the test on the First and Second Hokages and triple checking all his answers to make sure they were right only to receive a failing grade for all his trouble.

So Naruto simply gave up and played the fool. "No one cares if I try so why try at all?" Naruto remembered saying while crying upon failing the test he had worked so hard on. It had been so easy, scream out about wanting to be Hokage and everyone simply ignored him; to hide in plain sight, to wear a mask in public and keep his thoughts to himself.

It had been a frighteningly easy transition; no one seemed to question this sudden shift in his personality. Not even the old man, which broke Naruto's heart. His grandfather figure did not know him well enough to question why a curious and intelligent 5 year old suddenly became an obnoxiously loud fool. So the entirety of his academy years had been wasted and Naruto was only now learning of the consequences. Naruto was dragged out of his mental monologue by Ebisu, "Meet me tomorrow at 7am at the hot springs." Nodding his agreement Naruto started the long walk home.

Walking silently back through the village. Naruto watched the people he passed, a silent witness to men and women living out their lives. Everyone was happy, until they saw him. No words were spoken. No words were needed to showcase their dislike for him. How children were pulled closer to parents when Naruto strayed within 20 feet. How villagers would increase their pace to get away from him quicker. Not to mention the glares: Naruto felt surrounded by looks of distrust, hatred and fear.

These people were who he was supposed to protect from the Kyūbi? These were the people he was supposed to win over?

His dream of acceptance was looking more and more like a fantasy, something to be longed for but never achieved. Naruto did not want to be Hokage to protect Konoha. No, he wanted it because he wanted the acceptance that came with the title. As a child the Third had told Naruto stories of the heroics of Hokages past. Naruto wanted to be remembered. To be important enough that people would want to be like him. The Fourth's role in his past had soured this dream.

Naruto was no longer sure he wanted to be Hokage. Every time he looked up at the Hokage monument he was reminded of what he was, not what he wanted to be. Hokage were supposed to put their lives on the line to protect the village. Naruto was a survivor, and the longer he spent as a ninja. The more times he put his life on the line to protect his precious people. The more he realized that it was all talk. What made these people precious to him? Why should he die for them, when they refused to treat him as a human-being?

Iruka had started to care, but one positive instance does not outweigh all the negative ones. While the mask he wore made him out to be a happy go lucky fool. The real Naruto was far more calculating and far less optimistic. Naruto liked Iruka but he could not bring himself to trust the man. By nature Naruto was suspicious of everyone who simply offered him aid. He had learned his lesson when his peers would pretend to be his friend only to turn Naruto's hopes into the punch line of a joke.

While it did not appear that anyone in his age group knew of the Kyūbi. That did not make them ignorant. The children picked up on their parent's hostility and instead of accepting him had mocked and belittled him all the more. These incidents of playground humor, innocent in the eyes of an adult left a profound impact on Naruto's understanding of the world. Everyone has an ulterior motive and nothing is free.

It was because of these pranks by his peers that Naruto had begun playing pranks in the first place. He had gotten his revenge on those that had made fun of him. He realized that the people he pranked acknowledged his existence. Even if it was in anger, they looked at him. They called out his name. It was so simple. The pleasures of having someone say his name. Most people take for granted this everyday occurrences, but Naruto cherished every second of the attention. So he took to pranking like an addict to a drug.

He even decided to wear bright orange to try and force people to look at him more. As a child he thought it better to be hated than ignored but now he was not as sure. While his pranking had unknowingly made him a savant at stealth, it had only increased the villagers dislike for him. He had unknowingly only made his life all the harder. It was why after coming upon this revelation had stopped pranking people. He had hoped that stopping would help to lessen the hostility. Sadly it seemed only to put them more on edge.

They simply thought he was biding his time for the heat of defacing the Hokage monument to blow over. They still thought him a troublemaker.

"_I__'__m on my own, nothing has changed_," Naruto thought sadly. Naruto had hoped that having a sensei would be the turning point he so needed. Yet Kakashi was no different than anyone else. While the man obviously cared on some level for Naruto's safety. He was unable or unwilling to look deeper. Even with Kakashi's mighty Sharingan he was unable to see through the illusion that was Naruto.

He played the part of the orange wearing dunce to well and now it was coming back to haunt him. After learning he was the Kyūbi container Naruto began to realize the importance of knowledge. If it was possible to stop something as powerful as the Kyūbi with just ink and chakra, there was no telling what else could be done. Maybe it was possible to remove the Kyūbi and place it somewhere else.

Naruto came to the sobering conclusion that goofing off instead of studying during his academy days may just get him killed. He was only just able to defeat Mizuki and if he had wanted to Haku would have killed him with little resistance. Then there was Orochimaru who was on a completely different level than anyone Naruto had ever met before.

"_Knowledge is power and I am weak_," Naruto thought to himself as he neared his apartment. "I was so focused on learning some all-powerful jutsu that I failed to realize that it is often the basics that determine the winner." Ninja are supposed to be stealthy, so throwing fireballs around would be counterproductive to killing a target without alerting anyone. Naruto flinched at that thought, immediately thinking back to the deaths of both Zabuza and Haku in Wave Country.

While he no longer felt remorse for what had happened to either Haku or Zabuza, death is a part of a ninja's life, he feared what Haku had become. Haku spoke of protecting what was precious. Only to rely so heavily on the acceptance of others, that when it was lost he lost his will to live. Haku died thinking he was nothing but a tool. He did not fight it; he accepted his death with no objection. Was that any different than what Naruto himself had tried to do? How he was willing to die for his "precious" people?

"_**The same people who have once again abandoned you**_?" There was that little voice again inciting anger.

Opening the door to his apartment Naruto walked in and slammed the door shut. Kakashi is more concerned with Sasuke. The same could be said about Sakura. As a child Naruto wanted nothing more than to be accepted. Sakura, in the beginning, had been just like him, a social outcast, because of this Naruto thought she would understand. Thought she would be more willing to accept him.

Looking back on it now Sakura was in fact the cruelest of all. She had started out an outcast only to then become popular and with that acceptance she too had shunned anything that did not meet up to the status quo. Sasuke cared to an extent, which was proven in wave, yet his actions in the forest of death put that example into question. Sasuke craved power, that much was obvious, and Naruto was unsure of how far he would be willing to go to get it.

"_If I can't count on them, then I must be able to rely on myself and __**I**__**'ll show them all**_**!**" They all thought he was weak and useless. That had been proven during his battle with Kiba, who thought that the match was over before it started. Naruto smiled at the memory of the looks of astonishment on the faces of spectators when he won his match. Like it was impossible for them to even understand he was capable of winning. However, even with that win nothing had changed because Kakashi stilled cast him aside in favor of training Sasuke.

Which brought Naruto back to his current problem, what to do about the up and coming chunin exams finals. Naruto had his doubts that Ebisu would be able to teach him anything that would help him beat Neji. "Hmm, during Neji's fight with Hinata there seemed to be some sort of history between the two that angered Neji," Naruto thought, "maybe I can use that to my advantage."

The details were unclear but Naruto distinctly remembered that there had been some event where Hinata had almost been kidnapped. He decided that he would go to the library tomorrow and make a shadow clone to go and meet Ebisu. He needed to go to the library anyway to try and get materials that could help him learn everything he missed during the academy. It would be difficult but if he could make up for lost time he might just find a way to beat Neji.

Early the next morning Naruto woke to the sound of his alarm clock and got ready for the day. Naruto, not knowing what to expect from Ebisu, decided to try and put as much chakra as possible into the clone to try and make it more durable. After creating the clone Naruto instructed, "Go meet Ebisu in front of the hot springs and try not to get dispersed."

With that both the clone and Naruto left the apartment. Before arriving at the library Naruto decided to use the Transformation Jutsu to mask his appearance. Unsure of how the library staff would react to his use of the library. "Better to be safe than sorry," Naruto thought as he transformed in to dark haired average male of his age.

Opening the door to the library Naruto was greeted with a giant circular room. Every available piece of wall was lined with bookshelves at least 10 feet tall. In the center of this massive room were tables where people were reading books or scrolls of all shapes and sizes. Naruto stood in the door way unsure of what to do. When a woman employee approached him and said, "Welcome to the Konoha Library. How Can I help you?" Thinking on his feet Naruto replied, "Hello, umm I was wondering if I could maybe read some books?"

The woman smiled, "Yes you can read all you want, let me show you around." The woman, who introduced herself as Ibara, showed Naruto around the library and instructed him on how the library books where categorized. When Naruto asked, "Do you have anything on ninjas?" Ibara informed him that while they had the materials for the academy, everything else was store in the Konoha Archive Library, which was located in the Hokage Monument and only ninja could enter it.

Naruto, still disguised, thanked Ibara for her help and moved to look around the room. "One more thing you are welcome to read anything you like but to check out a book you will need a library card," Ibara informed him. Naruto froze for a second then replied with a smile, "That's okay I'm just going to read here."

"If you change your mind or you need any help I will be at the desk by the door," with that Ibara left. Naruto immediately went over to the academy section of the library and began looking through the available books. While he had hoped to find something on the Hyuga Family the books seemed to be all about the basics of becoming a ninja: the proper way to throw a Kunai, basic chakra control exercises, and the generic Taijutsu taught to all academy students. "Well I guess I have to start somewhere," Naruto thought picking up the book on chakra control.

Picking an empty table with four seats Naruto sat down and began to read. The book first mentioned how chakra was broken into Yin and Yang. Yin Release is based off of spiritual energy and governs the imagination. Yang Release, on the other hand, governs vitality and energy. These 2 basic chakra forms were then molded in different ways to form the chakra types needed in either Genjutsu or Ninjutsu.

"I always thought that chakra was just chakra but it seems that there are different combinations for different techniques," Thinking along this line Naruto began to wonder if that was why he was never able to make a simple clone and was so good at making Shadow clones. "Shadow clones are real; they are solid and can interact with the real world. Maybe they use yang chakra."

The book went on to explain that Yin chakra was based off of the mental capacity of the individual. While the Yang chakra was connected to the physical energy the human body was capable of producing. Naruto knew he had an inhuman amount of stamina and that he had a lot more chakra than was normal for someone of his age. He was unsure if this was a byproduct of containing the Kyūbi or if it was a natural occurrence. So engrossed was he in this debate he was taken by surprise when his vision suddenly shifted.

He was no longer looking at a book; actually he realized he was no longer in the library at all. He was standing in front of the Konoha Hot springs working on his chakra control. Ebisu had instructed him to use his chakra to stand on the water's surface for as long as he could. After falling a few times he had started to get the hang of the technique. It not only took more chakra then climbing a tree, but was more based on continuously emitting chakra to keep from sinking into the water.

On the third try he was distracted by a man sitting on a toad peeping into the women's side of the bath and when he fell into the water he dispersed.

As Naruto returned to the present he lost control of the Transformation and reverted back to his own form. Gasping for breath and trying not to throw up Naruto did not notice someone approaching him. "Hey what are you doing here?" Ibara screamed at him, "Leave this instant!"

Anger swelled within Naruto as he looked at yet another person who hated him. Yet he understood that yelling back at Ibara would get him nowhere so he calmly replied, "as a citizen of Konoha I have a right be here. I am sorry for causing a scene it will not happen again." When Ibara look ready to start screaming again he added, "If you have a problem with me being here you are welcome to take it up with the Hokage I am sure he would be interested to hear you are denying a ninja the use of the library." Ibara went pale for a second, before nodding and retreating back to her desk.

Collecting himself Naruto began to think about what had just happened when it finally occurred to him what had happened. "I just experienced what my shadow clone has experienced," Naruto concluded in shock. Why had no one ever told him about this?

If he was able to experience what a clone experienced then he could make clones to help him learn everything he had missed! With this thought Naruto returned to the shelf of ninja books and began to grab every book he could. Upon returning to his desk he placed the books carefully down on the table. Stepping back he crossed his finger and whispered "Shadow Clone Jutsu." Three Clones appeared around the table and then quietly sat down and began to read.

Returning to the book on chakra control Naruto was once again engrossed in the importance of chakra control. It was not as simple as simply being more efficient with jutsu this was a byproduct of chakra control. The Yin and Yang halves of chakra originate in two different areas of the body. Yin originates in the brain and Yang in the stomach. While the energy for a jutsu came from the Yang portion. The intent, what the chakra was supposed to become, was governed by the Yin portion.

This was why chakra was such a versatile tool. Chakra control was not only about being able to control and proportion of energy, yang, but also to have a clear mental image of what the chakra was intended to do, yin. This is why hand seals were so common. The hand seal aided in the focusing of yin chakra and the consolidation of yang chakra. A person with good chakra control could use yin chakra to heighten their senses or use yang chakra to increase physical abilities without the need for complex hand sign combinations.

Hours past as Naruto and his clones read in silence, when they finished a book they set it aside and pick up a new one to begin reading. Chakra Control, Taijutsu Stances, Konoha's History, and many other topics were read with enthusiasm. By the time the sun was setting Naruto had finished reading the available selection of books in the Library.

While Naruto was happy to be done for the day he found the information he had read to be lacking. While chakra control was well covered the other topics only had the most basic aspects and the author had obviously written these books for children because not a single one mentioned the violence that was present in the life of a ninja. As he and his clones placed the books back where they belonged, Naruto decided that tomorrow he would go to the Konoha Archive Library.

He would also send a few clones back to the hot springs to work on Water Walking and Leaf Concentration practice. Another technique he was reminded of while reading his books.

Turning to the three clones Naruto said "Alright one at a time dispel starting with you." Indicating the clone on the right and with a poof Naruto was once again assaulted by an influx of memories. Luckily this time he didn't fall to the floor. The transfer of memories was still disorientating, but now that he was expecting it he was better able to deal with the stress.

After the third clone dispersed he did have a headache. "The mental strain of absorbing the knowledge of my clones seems to increase the longer the clone has been formed and the more knowledge that is transferred," Naruto theorized as he exited the library. He tried to ignore the fact that as soon as he left the library Ibara locked the door and turned the sign to close. Even though the sign clearly stated they were supposed to be open for another hour.

It was at this moment Naruto's stomach decided to make its displeasure known; Unleashing a growl loud enough that the few people walking in the opposite direction actually glanced in his direction. "Wow haven't eaten since this morning," changing his course to make a pit stop at his favorite ramen stand.

How he loved Ichiraku ramen, Naruto thought of Ayame and Teuchi as the closest thing he was likely to ever have to family, a sister and a doting uncle, not parents but enough to give him a glimpse of what he was missing. What a family would be like. As Naruto neared the stand Teuchi called out, "Well if it isn't my best customer! What can I get for you Naruto?" In reply, "three miso pork ramen and two beef please."

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I always found Naruto's immediate acceptance of the Fourth to be lacking. Yes, he punched him in the gut, cried, and finally was ecstatic. I find Naruto's acceptance of Kakashi saying "Fathers usually have something to say to their sons" as Naruto is recovering after the invasion of pain (or it might have been after Karui beat him up) even less likely. Finding out the man who made you a Jinchūriki is your dad, this is pre-Kushina remember he has no knowledge of why they did it, and not wanting to do more than punch him once just seems unlikely to me.

I have read many fics in which reviewers cry out that Naruto is not physically abused. That Konoha's population simply ignored him. I can't remember where I saw it but it is a scene in which a young Naruto wants an ANBU mask. The shop owner first pushes Naruto then when confronted gives Naruto the mask but tells him to leave immediately. This is not just being ignored it can be defined as Naruto being verbally assaulted. The fact of the matter is psychologists have yet to find out which is worse, physical or mental. Both are forms of abuse and should never be tolerated. It does not make a child stronger, it will not help them to live their lives, and it can never be justified. It will hamper their ability to live. It may turn them into abuser in the future. To those that think being ignored is not detrimental to a child's health.

A professor once instructed in class that ignoring a young child, from birth until about 24 months if I'm remembering correctly, can kill them. Blunt but sadly true. (These tests are no longer aloud and even then not to my knowledge was any child ever denied complete interaction. Most of these studies were done on victims after the fact. Psychology testing today, at least in the U.S. and European Union; have to meet very strict risk to participant guidelines.) Very young children need to be held, talked to, and interacted with. These interactions cause stimulation along neural pathways, helps the brain as an organ mature (much more complex then it seems).

Left alone, not for a few hours or days more like weeks to months to years, these pathways can shut down leading other systems to shut down. Everything in the brain is connected to something else in some fashion. While more resilient then the infants or toddlers, children who are kept from adequate human contact have developmental issues. In theory a child can be fed and sheltered, but be completely incapable of interacting with their environment. (An extreme example would be "The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog" by Bruce Duncan Perry et al. Your brain does not stop growing until you are between 25-30 years old. Most of the vital social growth happens before age 10 (Naruto is still in the orphanage or living on his own).

A child giving up after failing to succeed is a proven occurrence. An individual who fails at something without a motivating force to drive them to try again is far less likely to repeat the failed action.

Naruto always talks about how when he is Hokage they will accept him. It is only during the fight with Edo Tensei Nagato and Itachi that he sees that a ninja becomes Hokage because he is accepted. This difference is what makes Naruto incapable of holding the hokage position, even after he spoke to Itachi. Naruto wants to be accepted and be the strongest but was not the least bit interested in the actual day to day work of being Hokage. The blonde would never have been capable of sitting at the mission assignment desk or doing all the required paper work.

I did a lot of research into chakra. When Sakura first mentions it she defines chakra as a mixture of Spiritual Energy, Life Energy, and Physical Energy. However, in Shippuden the idea of yin and yang was introduced. I will be using Yin and Yang as the two halves of the equation. This will become more important as the story goes on.

*If you have conflicting information about psychology, and you can prove it with a reliable source, please do tell me. It is not my intention to post false information. However, I am human and capable of mistakes. Tell me and I will change it so that future readers may better understand.*

Please tell me what you as a reader think of this story, nothing is too small and everything is appreciated. Louis the Gator


	2. A Sage and a Fox

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and thank everyone else for reading my story. Your feedback gives me the motivation to write this story and improve it. I will try to update at minimum once a week, but alas I am a college student and I have an ever increasing work load so I apologize in advance if I miss a date. To clear up a question: yes the Donquixote pirates, Monet included, will be in this story, but they may not be exactly like Cannon One Piece.

For instance, Pica's ability, Ishi Ishi no mi (Stone-Stone Fruit) is quite strong but it's really just Doton (Earth Release) in Naruto. I will be trying to incorporate the Donquixote pirates' personalities into existing Naruto Characters, and if I cannot find a compatible character I will bring that pirate into the Naruto World and turn their ability into a chakra based jutsu, that is believable. I have most of the officers picked and a few new editions (all editions are canon to their manga and believable). All officers of the Doflamingo Pirates are cannon as well. Except one, this is simply because the correlation between characters is something I found interesting.

Naruto in this story will not be a tyrant, but more along the lines of an Anti-hero. Don't get me wrong he will treat people like pawns, like doflamingo, but he will protect his own. The Donquixote pirate "Family" aspect is something I find very interesting and an explanation for why Doffy's crew is so loyal to him.

**I do not own Naruto or One Piece; no money is made from this work.**

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"We know what we are but not what we may be." Ophelia in Hamlet

The next morning, just as the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon Naruto made his way towards the Konoha Archive Library. He liked the village this early in the morning, it was quiet and there were fewer people out and about. As Naruto continued on his way through Konoha, his mind drifted back to the events of the previous evening. While Naruto was eating at Ichiraku's the night before he had been approached by an unexpected visitor.

He had been halfway through his final bowl of beef ramen when a man with long flowing white hair, the one who had distracted his clone, sat down next to him at the little ramen bar. While, surprised to have a new customer, most people avoided the stand so long as Naruto was around; Teuchi quickly asked what the stranger wanted to eat. After ordering a pork ramen the stranger turned towards Naruto and said, "So you're the brat that sensei is always talking about."

Naruto was immediately on the defensive, "Depends on whom your sensei is," leaving the question open. Standing up and striking a pose with his left hand in front of him and his right fist raised above his head, "You don't recognize me? Why I'm Jiraiya! Mount Myoboku's holy master toad sage!" This pose would have been dramatic had the sage not trip over his sandals and fallen face first into a puddle.

Meeting the Sannin had only reinforced the fact that knowledge was important and Naruto was once again happy he had decided to read the book about Konoha's history at the library. The book had an entire chapter on the sannin: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. While there was not sufficient information to really judge anyone, it gave Naruto enough to be suspicious of the toad sage's intentions. The sannin were some of the strongest ninja that had ever been produced in Konohagakure.

The students of the Third Hokage himself were supposedly masters of the summoning technique and each had their own personal style. His last meeting with a sannin, in the forest of death, had not left a great first impression on the young blonde. Supposedly Jiraiya and Tsunade were loyal to Konoha but Naruto had his doubts. If the Toad sage and Slug princess were so loyal, why where they not in the village? Naruto was sure if either Jiraiya or Tsunade had entered the village he would have heard about it.

He spent a significant portion of his childhood in and around the Hokage tower. The blonde was doubtful that either student of the Third would enter the village and not at least stop by and speak with their sensei. Even if he had by chance missed the visit he was sure that one of the secretaries would have noticed and started spreading the news.

Jiraiya had offered to teach Naruto. "Why would a sannin want to teach the dead last of the academy_?_" Naruto had questioned Jiraiya. The answer he received was "I have no interest in teaching prodigies; it's no fun to teach someone that was born perfect."

While Naruto was willing to take this answer at face value, to learn under such an accomplished ninja, he suspected that there was more to the sannin's sudden appearance. It was understandable that after the use of the Kyūbi chakra in wave, which Naruto was sure Kakashi had listed in his report on the mission, that the Third would send someone to check on the status of the seal that contained the Kyūbi. Jiraiya was a well-known practitioner of Fuinjutsu.

Fuinjutsu was something Naruto was eager to learn. If a seal was capable of containing the Kyūbi then Fuinjutsu was likely one of the strongest weapons a ninja could wield. The only problem was there were not many people capable of teaching it. The history books he had read only mentioned in passing that Konoha's own barrier had been the creation of the wife of the Shodaime Hokage.

A woman named Mito; who appeared to have been a sealing mistress. This woman was mentioned no were else in any of the books Naruto had read yesterday. He was hoping to be able to discover who she was today at the archive. He had planned to research Fuinjutsu at the library, but when a known sealing master dropped into his lap who was he to give up free training.

Arriving at the stairwell that circled up the Hokage monument to the entrance of the archive, Naruto decided to forgo the idea of using a transformation to bypass the librarians. While a transformation may have worked on a civilian, Ibara, he did not want to be caught trying to sneak into the library. They may think he was trying to set up a prank and that would lead to more questions than it would solve. As he was walking up the stair, Naruto created two clones and sent them to perfect the chakra training exercise that Ebisu had taught him yesterday and after that to start trying to review leaf concentration.

Finally reaching the door Naruto squared his shoulders and walked inside. The sight that greeted him was a giant cavernous room, three times the size of the preliminary arena, filled to the brim with scrolls and books. Awestruck by the sheer amount of knowledge that must have been stored here, Naruto was unsure of where to begin his search. Looking around he noticed that no one was yet stationed at the front desk.

So he approached a giant map stationed beside the desk that showcased both the filing system as well as the layout of the massive library. It seemed that the library was broken up into the main room, the giant cavern he was currently in, that held information acceptable to any level of ninja and many smaller specialty rooms that required either a higher ninja rank or the Hokage's permission to enter.

Naruto didn't even bother looking at those rooms knowing it would be foolish to even think about being given admittance. Taking a closer look at the layout of the main room Naruto noticed that it was broken into sections based on categories: A general section directly to his right followed by a genjutsu section, a ninjutsu section, a taijutsu section, a section on general history, and finally a section on the histories of clans.

"_Okay I have exactly 4 hours until I need to meet Jiraiya by the bathing house,_" he decided to make 12 clones, three per section minus the genjutsu section which he would study after increasing his chakra control, to break up and begin reading. Also to lower the amount of strain he would feel he decided to have each clone disperse after reading through a single text. This way it would lower the strain he would experience when they dispersed.

As the hours past Naruto began to grow more and more annoyed. It was taking a lot longer to read these books due to the increase in difficulty of the material covered. Only two of the twelve clones had finished a book and those had been simple refreshers of basic history. To try and speed up the process Naruto tried making more clones. However, for some unknown reason he was unable to make more than 15 without feeling a noticeable drop in his stamina and a burning sensation in his gut.

This worried Naruto, "_I've made over 100 clones at once in the past, what changed? Why do I feel so weak_?" Getting up and making his way through the library to the restroom Naruto opened and then locked the door. Facing the mirror Naruto lifted his shirt and then molded chakra. With the increase of chakra to his coils the seal slowly materialize around his naval. "_It looks different_," Naruto commented while lost in thought.

When he had first been told about the seal, upon returning to his apartment he immediately began to experiment to see if he could get it to appear. When he had finally gotten the thing to emerge he had memorized every pattern of what kept the Kyūbi sealed within him. He had first done this to make sure he could protect the village.

Now however, he was more concerned with why the change had occurred and why it was affecting his ability to mold larger quantities of chakra. "_There is an extra layer around the seal, I will have to ask Jiraiya about it when I meet him in an hour_" thought Naruto bitterly. While normally Naruto preferred to keep all the information he could to himself this change in the seal was something he was unable to answer. He needed help, plain and simple.

Lowering his shirt and leaving the bathroom Naruto returned to his clones and said, "I'm headed to meet Jiraiya keep doing what you're doing until closing time." After a nod of confirmation from each of the clones Naruto headed back through the library to the door. As he was exciting he noticed that there was still no one at the front desk. Stocking that dilemma away for a later date Naruto left the library and started making his way towards the center of the village. He had an errand to run before going to meet the Toad sage.

With the money he had received from the mission in wave, equivalent to an A rank for the unforeseen difficulty and totaling to almost 450,000 ryō, Naruto had decided that he would purchase much needed new equipment. He did not have the means to take care of his ninja tools, kunai and shuriken. He had been more interested in learning to use them rather than keeping them sharp when he first purchased them. As a result, his kunai were dull and his shuriken bent. It would be cheaper to acquire new ones instead of trying to have his current ones repaired. So Naruto made his way to the one weapon store in the Konoha.

Yes, there were many ninja supply stores posted throughout the many districts of Konoha. These locations sold uniforms and non-lethal supplies at lower rates to owners of a ninja registration card, while still catering to the needs of civilians. However, since weapons were heavily regulated in how they were produced: type of metals used, weight, angle of the blade, cutting edge length, size of the holding surface and more. It was easier to mass produce these items in a central guarded location and then sell them in one location.

This uniformity changed slightly every few years, it tried to prevent enemy nations from being proficient with Konoha weaponry on the battlefield. If you wanted to get these items you had to go to the store located at the base of the Hokage tower. This store was also the only place in the village where one could purchase ready-made Fuinjutsu items: sealing scrolls, paper bombs, etc. Nothing complex just the everyday equipment needed for being a ninja.

While, it was possible to make these items by hand it was not always a good idea. The academy teachers told horror stories of what could go wrong if a ninja misplaced even a single symbol in a seal. Naruto had no knowledge in how these items were made so he would simply have to purchase them until he was certain he could recreate them on his own. So Naruto was going to peruse the selection while picking up new standard equipment.

Arriving at the shop, Naruto walked inside and was greeted by the ancient shop keeper Tenzō. A heavily scared man with a long white beard and a balding head, Tenzō was rude to everybody and didn't care who you were so long as you had a registration card and money. If Naruto was honest, he liked Tenzō because of his gruffness, he treated everybody else the way they treated Naruto. Reaching the counter Naruto placed his registration on the counter and stated," I need three packs of Kunai and four packs of shuriken."

With a grunt the old man picked up the registration card and moved into the back of the store. While he was waiting Naruto moved over to look through the selection of fuinjutsu products available for purchase. There were scrolls of varying size aligned in a column from largest to smallest and an arrangement of different seal based explosives beside them. The biggest scroll was almost as long as Naruto was tall and about as thick as his chest while the smallest was about the length of his hand and about an inch (2.54cm) thick.

Picking up 2 of the smallest sealing scrolls and a booklet of paper bombs Naruto made his way back towards the counter as Tenzō reappeared with his order. "Alright this totals to 25,000 ryō, don't forget those paper bombs aren't charged you need to fill them with chakra to arm them." Thinking on his feet Naruto asked "hey you wouldn't happen to have any material on fuinjutsu would you?"

Tenzō seemed surprised by the question and then narrowed his eyes, "and why would you be interested in that?" Naruto simply shrugged before smoothly replying, "my sensei mentioned he was gonna start teaching it to me thought I'd try and get ahead." Without a word Tenzō retreated into the back of the store. "_Well it was worth a shot,_" thought Naruto as he turned to leave. As Naruto reached for the door Tenzō called out, "Hey are you gonna pay for this or what? I didn't carry it all the way out here just so you could stiff me!"

Surprised, Naruto looked back over his shoulder to see Tenzō was back at the counter with a scroll lying in from of him. It was a scroll that was about the thickness of Naruto's arm and about a foot (30.8cm) wide. Returning to the counter Naruto inspected the scroll. It was obviously old but well maintained. "Basics of Fuinjutsu," was written in an elegant script across the outside flap of the paper. Captivated and excited Naruto knew he had to have it and asked, "How much?"

Tenzo grunted out, "This is something that has been in my possession for quite some time. It has everything needed to get you started but I must warn you there is a reason why most ninja buy all their seals. It is a very complex art that is not suitable for everyone. So don't try anything without your sensei on hand. If you get it wrong it can kill you, but then again with who you are, you shouldn't have a problem."

"_What did being the prison of the Kyūbi have to do with being good a fuinjutsu_," Naruto thought as he grabbed one of his newly purchased storage scrolls. Sighing Tenzō continued, "that and control laws on what can be sold just became more lenient. It'll cost you 100,000 ryō to buy it because scrolls from whirlpool are rare." Eyes widening at both the priced and the amount of information the old man gave Naruto quickly gave him the money before he could change his mind. "_Whirlpool, never heard of a place called that before,_" thought Naruto as he picked up the scroll, it was heavier then it looked, and stored it in a storage scroll.

Stepping outside Naruto started hurrying towards the hot springs. Having spent longer then he planned in the weapon shop he was almost late to meet with Jiraiya. Summoning a shadow clone he tossed it the storage scroll, "Take this home and start reading the scroll." With that Naruto and his clone split ways, as the clone headed back past the Hokage tower in the direction of the blonds apartment. Arriving at the hot springs Naruto was greeted with an unpleasant sight.

There was Jiraiya looking through a hole in the wall into what Naruto knew was the women's side of the bath. "_Why does it always have to be me_?" Kakashi and his books were bad enough but this was just sad. "What are you doing?" Naruto asked as he approached the sannin. "SHH… you want to get us caught brat," Jiraiya whispered. "_Us? There is no us old man,_" Naruto thought before replying, "Well I'm here what did you want to teach me?" Jiraiya simply waved his hand towards the pond across from the building and said, "Go on and do that water walking exercise that you were doing yesterday."

Immediately regretting coming to this meeting in person, it was too late to switch places with a shadow clone, Naruto approached the pond. Stripping off his jacket, pants and shoes, he remembered the consequences of wet cloths thanks to the clones he had made earlier that day. Stealing himself Naruto tried to replicate what he remembered the clone doing. He stepped on the water and didn't sink first try. Looking down he noticed the seal has appeared. Turning around to face Jiraiya, Naruto ask, "Done now wha…"

It happened so fast. One second the sannin was looking through the hole the next he was shoving his palm into Naruto's gut and with that came pain. It started around the seal and then quickly spread throughout his whole body. Instinctively jumping away from the sannin, Naruto's bare feet hit solid ground a good 10 feet away from the sage. Then he crumpled over and thought, "_That hurt… that __**HURT!**_" Naruto was no stranger to pain, after the agony of having needles stuck through nerve junctions in wave. Naruto quickly blocked out the pain and was left with heightened senses, as adrenaline surged through his system.

Jiraiya unaware of what was about to happen approached Naruto while laughing and said, "Well aren't you light on your feet. Alright, try doing the water walking exercise one more time." Naruto lost in his rage lunged at the sannin and landed a satisfying punch to the sannin's nose. With the sannin taken by surprise at the sudden attack the man fell into the pond. Naruto sprinted for his cloths and equipment. Throwing on his pants, with a speed only known to the fearful, the boy did the one thing he had always been good at doing. He ran.

Naruto was no fool; he knew he would not be able to defeat the sannin. The fight with Orochimaru, the little of it he could remember, had proven that sannin were way above his ability to fight. Pulling from his experiences of evading the ANBU after pranks. Naruto took to the streets. He used his superior maneuverability to evade what he knew to be a faster foe. He didn't need to look back to know Jiraiya was chasing him. He heard the man calling his name, telling him to stop.

The blonde heard the crash as the man misjudged a tight turn and tripped over something. Knowing that now was his chance he ducked down a dark alley. He quickly made a shadow clone to keep running as he slid into a hidden crevasse behind a dumpster. The smell would mask his sent and the slight wind in the alley would dissipate the smoke. No sooner was Naruto situated that he heard, "hey brat, wait!" Watching as the sannin passed by his hiding spot and continued his chase of the shadow clone. Naruto finally began to relax. As the adrenaline faded he finally gave in to the pain arcing from his seal and the darkness that accompanied it.

* * *

Jiraiya should have known better, he did know better. Attacking a kid that barely knew him was pretty stupid. He had gotten complacent and momentarily forgotten that he was not teaching Minato. The boy had almost instinctively dodged the attack, with some work the kid would have his father's reflexes, and while compensating for the kid's movement Jiraiya had used more force than he meant to.

Yet, from how his sensei described Naruto; the boy should have simply shaken it off and been ready to learn. He had already prepared a "oh just opened some pressure points" to dissolve any doubt the boy might have had. He had not expected the boy to react violently nor to push chakra into his feet to increase his speed. Yet here he was, the toad master Jiraiya: soaking wet, with a bloody nose, and still chasing the kid. The stories the ANBU told weren't exaggerations.

Jiraiya still thought it pretty cute that ANBU had affectionately nicknamed Naruto the "Orange Flash" after his infamous itching powder prank on the ANBU headquarters.

"Jeez this brat's quick," it was like chasing a mini Minato and boy did the brat resemble his dad. It took Jiraiya back just looking at the boy, to a happier time, when his favorite student was talking about being Hokage. It had been impossible to keep the fact that Naruto was the Yondaime's son from the upper echelons of the ninja community.

Many people were friends with either Minato or Kushina and their relationship was anything but quiet and with Kushina's legendary temper he was surprised Iwa didn't know. Yet the Third was able to hide this from the civilian population. With a few well-placed words and the fact that Naruto had his father's hair color and his mother's last name was enough to fool the masses. Yet this did not lessen Jiraiya's sense of guilt.

The civilians could not understand the idea of a seal. That chakra and blood turned into symbols was more than capable of containing the strongest of the bijū, just as it had done for over a century. The newest generations of ninja, where also kept in the dark. Sensei had feared what would happen if one was captured, if Naruto's parentage got out it could start a war. As a consequence, this new generation was more cautious and hateful towards the blonde.

Many ninja had been injured or perished in the fight with the fox, many of these fallen had been the family members of this newer generation. While Naruto's age group could not remember the fox it had left a deep impression on the young ninja who had witnessed it. While they did not really hate the kid they were unsure if they could trust him. Third had decided to make talking about Naruto's parentage and the Kyūbi an S-ranked secret.

This was a double edged sword sadly, while it prevented the spread of the fear of the Kyūbi. It also prevented the friends of Kushina or Minato from approaching the boy. They couldn't even give their children more than small hints to befriend Naruto. However, enough reminiscing he needed to catch the kid and apologize.

The Third had been right; someone had messed with Naruto's seal. Placing an odd numbered seal over an even numbered seal was like putting a cork in a dripping faucet. The eight-trigrams seal, the seal that held the Kyūbi in Naruto, naturally siphoned a portion of the fox's chakra and added it to Naruto's own. When Orochimaru, he was the only person skilled and sadistic enough, stopped this flow of chakra it began to build up.

Truthfully, Jiraiya was impressed that the boy was able to move under the stress of having the built up Kyūbi chakra spread through his chakra pathways. From what Jiraiya understood about this, it had happened to Kushina when she had been kidnapped by Kumo, it was supposedly extremely painful. As the fox's chakra reverberated through Naruto's system it would strain his chakra coils. After Kushina had been returned the removal of the seal had left her in debilitating pain for a few hours. Or at least that was what Minato had said.

Hearing a scream of pain and a pop, Jiraiya feared the worst and sped up. As he rounded the corner he was surprised to find the boy was gone, his only company in the alley a frightened cat. He was facing a dead end, but as a ninja he vaulted onto the roof only to find a pineapple haired kid lying on his back looking at the clouds. Heading over to the kid Jiraiya asked, "Hey you wouldn't happened to have seen a blond- knucklehead pass by would you."

The kid lazily glanced over at his and replied, "You mean Naruto? Nope you're the first person I've seen all day." Chalking the noise up to the cat, Jiraiya chuckled. He didn't know whether to be impressed or insulted the kid had managed to get away from him. "I must be getting old. Well you win this time you little bugger, he's probably headed home, ill drop by to make sure he's alright and then head back to do some research," Jiraiya thought with a perverted giggle.

It would probably be a better idea to let the kid cool off anyway. Naruto seemed eager enough to be trained, so Jiraiya was sure the kid would come looking for him when he was ready to be trained. "_The first place the brat will look will look is back where he last saw me! Well I better not keep the ladies waiting then_," headed back towards Naruto's apartment. Once he was sure the kid was there, appeared to be reading some scroll. Jiraiya, satisfied that the boy was okay, headed back towards the hot springs images of women on his mind.

* * *

Drip… Drip… As Naruto woke he became conscious that he was lying in water. Eye's snapping open; Naruto immediately sat up and was overcome by a wave of dizziness. "**Well, what have we here? My jailor finally comes for a visit. How delightful!**"this new voice was dark and ominous. Looking up Naruto was met with a giant room lit by torchlight. In front of him was a massive barred gate and in the very center of this gate was a piece of paper marked "seal".

From behind the gate a pair of giant red eyes stared at the blond as a mouth appeared and began to speak, "**Well now. Why have you come here human? The first time in over ten years I have had to deal with one of your kind.**" While the entity spoke Naruto continued to look around the room. It appeared he was somewhere in a sewer system. Pipes lines the ceiling and occasionally dripped water onto the flooded floor below. Returning his gaze to the eye's now glaring at him Naruto stated, "You must be the Kyūbi." It was a statement not a question, no other being Naruto knew of could be so large and so malicious.

The beast laughed, "**Yes I am the Kyūbi no Yoko, the nine tailed fox, why have your come here human? If you are here to ask me for my power then you are wasting your time.**" The fox rubbed Naruto the wrong way, thinking back to the chakra he had once experienced in wave Naruto could not help but be tempted to pursue the point. Yet, the pain he had just endured was still fresh on his mind so he decided to take this slow.

"Why am I here, Kyūbi? Did you summon me?" Naruto questioned. The eye's shown with a hint of anger and contempt as the Kyūbi replied, "**As if I would summon a pathetic ninja to converse with! Stop playing games and tell me what you want.**"Naruto, to the surprise of the fox, laughed before replying, "What I want is not something you can give." This statement seemed to cause the fox to pause for a second before it sneered and said, "**Ah so you simply wish to seal me away then. No this human I will be free and when I do there won't be another container to hold me!**"

"Container? What do you mean by container?" In reply to Naruto's question all the Kyūbi did was laugh, "**Ha! a Jinchūriki that does not even know what his own species calls him. That is all you are to them little ninja, a sacrifice they offer up to hold back my power!**"

Naruto was shocked to the core, Jinchūriki, power of human sacrifice. That is what they called him? Naruto almost preferred being called a demon. Sacrifice implied death, was having the Kyūbi sealed with in him slowly killing him? Reeling from the though Naruto turned to the beast that was still laughing at him.

"Stop it," no response the fox was lost in hysterics at a joke Naruto did not find funny. As Naruto's anger began to grow the water he was standing on began to boil. Screaming out, "STOP IT!" at the top of his lungs Naruto was stunned when golden chains shot out of the water around him and raced towards the cage. As the chains passed the barrier they struck the fox within. As it roared in agony it turned a murderous glare towards the young boy. "**YOU! You're just like her!**"

Naruto shocked by the appearance of the chains was unable to keep the mental concentration needed to keep them in existence. As they disappeared the beast began to thrash around in its cell, obviously agitated. Roaring, the fox began to bash its mass against the gate, but the barrier did not so much as bulge. Naruto decided to simply wait out the storm; he wanted to know what the fox was talking about. After what seemed like an eternity the Kyūbi finally stopped trying to break through the gate and settled down.

Feeling it safe to continue Naruto stated, "what did you mean by I'm just like her?" All he received in response was a growl. Deciding he was going to have to try and coax the information out of the fox he continued, "Kyūbi I did not ask to be your Jinchūriki, as you called me. I did not request to be your jailor, hell from what I understand I was just a child when our fates were sealed. If you must blame someone, blame the Yondaime not me."

All he received was a snort of derision in response. "Fine do not answer me, but know this Kyūbi; I am no one's sacrifice." Deciding it was time to leave Naruto turned around and started walking down out of the room. As the blonde rounded the first corner the fox's voice echoed down the hall, "**You are different from the others brat. You know pain and hatred. You are not blinded by the ideal of love. You have realized that no one will save you from what they made you. I might just end up liking you; as a reward I'll tell you this, the Uzumaki are not from Konoha.**"

* * *

Kurama as a character is very difficult to write. He is the Naruto character that in my opinion has changed the most over the entire series. In the original series the Kyūbi is simply portrayed as a chakra boost for Naruto. However, in Shippuden almost Kurama's entire character is based around his relationship to humans. While Kurama without a doubt hates Madara his relationship with Naruto is far more influenced by the fox's past with Mito and Kushina.

It has been stated that Mito was also capable of negative emotion sensing by Tobi. I have read a few fanfictions that imply that Mito befriended Kurama, but I personally do not see that happening. As the first Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, Mito is the first "prison sentence" Kurama has ever had. Stripped of his freedom, first by Madara then Mito would have set the fox completely against the first Uzumaki that held him. The little we have seen of Mito implies she simply wanted to prevent Kurama from running free and strength Hashirama's position as Hokage.

She was a woman who to me appears to be very duty oriented. Kushina's seal is plenty of proof to me that her main goal was containment of the Kyūbi. Kurama must have despised her; he was nailed to a sphere of his own chakra. Immobilized for a very long time, at least 10 years to me would have made Kurama more a slave then a prisoner to Kushina. With Kushina's special chakra it is implied that she had dominance over Kurama. The ferocity with which Kurama fought to escape the seal's in both Mito (implied) and Kushina's child labor's only strengthens my feelings that "A perfect Jinchūriki" was not possible for either Kushina or Mito.

Naruto and chakra chains, recently it has been shown that chakra chains are not unique to Kushina. Karin was seen using them against Guruguru's Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands. This proves that the chains are either a technique or a hereditary ability of the Uzumaki. Personally I think it's hereditary and no one ever states they have to be large chain links.

The reason I am going this route is because to me Doflamingo's Parasito is not the same as the puppet technique. It has been shown that chakra threads do not have the ability to control a Healthy ninja; Sasori was only able to control members of the Surprise Attack Division because they were: weak, injured, and weary. Kushina's chains were able to restrain Kurama for a time and personally I think at full strength she would have no trouble making chains he could not break.

Remember when Kushina and Minato sealed their chakra into Naruto they did not have very much chakra left. The only reason Kurama was allowed to counter was because with the loss of his Yin half the chains became lose. Doflamingo is capable of stopping people with the physical strength of characters comparable or surpassing A, the Raikage. Jozu was able to both lift and throw a chunk of ice many times larger than Marine Battleship. Plus it would simply be too easy to write that Naruto travel's to Suna and learns puppet techniques, even if neither cannon Chiyo nor Kankura would be willing to teach him pre-shippuden, and have other people counter it, because puppet jutsu can be countered.

Finally children and pain is an interesting topic. Children on majority fear the thought of pain more than the actual stimuli. They also feed off the attention given. This is why kids get so worked up over scrapping their knee and may cry for far longer than the body feels the pain. If the action of crying is not positively reinforced, attention given, the child will no longer attribute crying to lessening the pain. Easier in theory then in practice but this has been proven.

Also children from about 3 to 12 are firmly based in the present. They do not care about what happened 1 hour ago, with a small stimulus of course, so long as something is happening now. Children who are forced out of this centralistic stage change. Children who are faced with either high stress or a traumatic event react very differently to pain stimulus. They can react with anger or fear, often a combination of the two, when confronted with pain because them getting hurt is not as quickly forgotten.

That fear only increases as time goes on. Jiraiya's action when first meeting Naruto are not those of someone who cares for him. Throwing a child down a canyon with no safety check should have had Jiraiya at least reprimanded and removed from training him. Yet Naruto simply takes it in cannon. This fact has never sat well with me and honestly demonstrates the failure of Konoha. They were supposed to fill Naruto with love, Mito's words, but did they? The population now accepts him yes but is love and acceptance the same thing?

All information related to Naruto in this story comes from Narutopedia. All One Piece comes from One Piece Wiki.

*If you have conflicting information about psychology, and you can prove it with a reliable source, please do tell me. It is not my intention to post false information. However, I am human and capable of mistakes. Tell me and I will change it so that future readers may better understand.*

Please review I really enjoy hearing the feedback from those that read my story. Every little comment helps to make this story better and I appreciate it all, Louis the Gator


	3. Masks

**AN Read it and learn something about psychology:)**

Thank everyone who reviewed and here is a psychological phenomenon. People in a crowd are far less likely to help someone in need or contribute to a cause they believe in. It is called **the bystander effect**, it boils down to the idea that "I" personally don't need to do anything because other people will. The example that often goes with this term is the rape and murder of a woman in New York. It supposedly, it's an example that I have heard used from many sources and by many teachers but cannot find proof, a girl was being attack in an alley beside a large apartment building.

27 people heard this attack taking place, none could see it, yet not a single person called the police or went outside to investigate. The woman died with 27 able bodied witnesses listening to the crime. This thought that an individual does not need to get involved in something even if they believe in it is a false sense of security. I am sure more than 100,000 people believe that SOPA should not be passed; the issue is getting them to actually sign the petition. Type in to a search engine "SOPA 2014 whitehouse" and it should be the first link.

Over 30,000 signers are still needed, so every single person who can sign will help. I have signed the petition and I urge readers to as well. It is important to stand up for what you believe in and be willing to fight for it. While I do not enjoy getting involved in politics (psychology and politics are an interesting mix) SOPA is currently looking directly at Fan related material. They will be able to un-discriminately delete anything that is viewed as using copy-righted information.

This site is well known, and the material is in the Website name. It will be one of the first to be located and attacked, but most assuredly not the last. I have just discovered writing and I have no intention of losing this new found pastime. Even if you personally do not write, sign the petition to protect the stories you enjoy and want to see completed. Feel free to reuse this author's note above (nothing below the first line break), simply post my penname with it. – Louis the Gator

**I do not own Naruto or One Piece; no money is made from this story.**

* * *

"We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin." ― André Berthiaume

It had been a long week. Had it really been only seven days since his conversation with the fox? It felt like an eternity. Faced with the lies that were the foundation of his existence Naruto was no longer sure what he felt. To learn that he was not from Konoha was devastating to Naruto. If his village was not his home then where was? Desperate for answers Naruto had frantically returned to the Konoha Archive Library, looking for anything that had to do with his last name. Only to come up empty handed.

Nowhere in the entirety of the Konoha Library was his family name so much as mentioned. He had finally found the information he so craved while sitting in his own apartment. How ironic, that Naruto's family history was hidden under a loose floor board within the home of the sole remaining member of the clan. The Uzumaki were from an island off the coast of the Land of Fire called the Land of Whirlpools. The scroll he had purchased from Tenzo had been written by his ancestors. There was little historical information written about in the scroll but it had been something.

The scroll stated that the Uzumaki valued knowledge above all else and started to accumulate it. They had created their version of Fūinjutsu not as a means of battle but as a way to record history. The Uzumaki had started off as a clan of scribes. Scrolls created during the Warring States Period, the period before the rise of ninja villages, were likely to be destroyed during raids and were not made to last. The Uzumaki where known for the longevity and were capable of living for longer than a century.

So the Uzumaki tried to find a more permanent fashion of storing information. They found that by mixing chakra into ink it was possible to increase the lifespan of scrolls. It was only later that the Uzumaki found that they could use this method for battle. This new fighting style was called Fūinjutsu.

After the destruction of the land of Whirlpools during the Third Great Ninja War, the only time Whirlpool is mentioned in the entirety of the Konoha Library, the survivors spread throughout the elemental nations taking their techniques with them. The author of Naruto's scroll was one of those refugees and spoke about this history while explaining the beginnings of Fūinjutsu.

Each symbol used in Fūinjutsu represented a word, and through that a function. Fūinjutsu as a whole, worked as a circuit for chakra. Each symbol caused the chakra to react in different ways. For instance, on an explosive tag the symbol "explode" turned chakra into a violent shockwave that exploded outwards. Surrounding the symbol "explode" other symbols could be added to change the nature of that explosion. For instance adding more "explode" symbols would increase the strength, while placing the symbol "focus" would cause the blast to travel in a specific direction.

This ability to change the very nature of the seal by what symbols were placed on it made Fūinjutsu a very powerful and versatile art but also difficult. Placing two symbols that were incompatible such as "explode" and "stop" side by side in a circuit could cause the seal to fail. This failure of a circuit was often dangerous because the chakra in the seal was unpredictable. It might explode or it might send anything within a certain distance through space and time leaving everything else behind.

The most obvious difference in how Modern Fūinjutsu and Uzumaki Fūinjutsu worked was the path the chakra took through the seal. In modern Fūinjutsu chakra flowed in a straight line from the chakra source down the circuit. This allowed for precise control over what was going to occur and allowed safety catches to be placed in case of failure.

The Uzumaki, true to their name used spiral circuits with the chakra being applied either at the center or the outside edge and then radiating out through the rest of the seal. This allowed for longer sealing circuits to be created in a smaller space. This increase in circuit length allowed the chakra in the seal to be influenced by more symbols allowing for more precise combinations. This increased distance allowed for more powerful sealing techniques.

The fact that Uzumaki Fūinjutsu was created as a form of calligraphy and not a weapon was another difference from Modern Fūinjutsu. As a form of calligraphy, Uzumaki Fūinjutsu had far more symbols then Modern Fūinjutsu which allowed a Seal user to be more descriptive in his seals. Instead of writing "explode" over and over again the Uzumaki could write "Explode with greater force." This also formed a tighter circuit, as less chakra was lost as it passed from symbol to symbol, but it had its drawbacks. As a written language it came with grammar rules.

These rules changed the shape of the actuals symbol minutely depending on wither the symbol in front of it or the type of action required. For instance: a curve instead of a straight line if a _t _came after a _i_, an accent that ascends diagonally from left to right if the verb followed a noun, or a subtle variation in the ending of a word such as _move_s instead of _move_. This is what made Uzumaki Fūinjutsu so dangerous; instead of simply worrying about conflicting seals a seal user had to worry about the grammar variations that if used incorrectly would cause the seal to fail.

Learning a new language took time, but the scroll was very well written and Naruto was hooked. Yet he was only about 6 feet (1.82m) into the scroll meaning he wasn't even close to being finished. Naruto didn't mind, this language was the only connection Naruto had to his family and he guarded it zealously. The blonde was fearful if anyone found out he had it they would try to take it from him. After finding out where his clan was from Naruto had wanted to run and never look back.

It had been such a freeing feeling. To realize he was no longer bound to Konoha, that it did not matter what the villagers thought because he would no longer be there. He had spent a few hours planning on how to escape only to discover, when a clone dissipated, that Uzushiogakure had been destroyed before he was even born. If finding out Konoha was not his home had shattered him, finding out his hope of freedom was impossible had left the young blonde hollow.

"Home" is where a person belongs, and Naruto no longer felt he belonged in Konoha. Yet, his clan was destroyed and he was stuck. Without a village to protect him Naruto knew he would only end up right back in Konoha as a prisoner if he ever tried to leave. He doubted he would even make it out of the Land of Fire. After talking to the Kyūbi Naruto's perception of Konoha had changed. It was no longer his village; it was his prison.

That was why he was currently wandering the very outskirts of Konoha, he had left many shadow clones within Konoha to continue reading at the Archive and practicing the many symbols of his clan. If the clones happened to confuse the guards he suspected were watching him all the better. It had been a chore earlier in the week to acquire all the inks and scrolls he needed to practice, bought at many of the Ninja Supply Stores at civilian prices.

Naruto was wary of anyone finding out he was practicing sealing, it was a dangerous art and it would raise questions he did not want to answer. The Third had refused to even tell Naruto he had a clan. What would the old man do if he figure out Naruto discovered the information on his own? While the Hokage was rarely angry with Naruto the few times it had happened left Naruto with a healthy fear of the old man's wrath.

Getting out of the village had been easy, the chunin guarding the entrance were too busy with arriving dignitaries to even think about asking the transformed blonde any questions, let alone stop him from leaving. Being outside of the village proper was calming. Off the path and among the trees, to avoid detection, Naruto enjoyed a stillness not found in a bustling village.

Naruto had rarely strayed outside of Konoha's gates as a child, not from a lack of trying but because the guards wouldn't let him leave. As a kid the guards told him it was for his safety. Now Naruto looked at Konoha's walls as if they were the bars of a glorified cell. They did not keep anyone out, they kept him in. Currently, he was beyond even the training grounds on the very boundary of where Konoha ended and the great forest of the Land of Fire began. As the boy walked further and further into the forest he began to look for a clearing big enough for him to try and use his chains.

This new found technique was probably the only positive outcome that talking to the fox had given Naruto. While conversation had been informative most of it had been painful. It took a lot of concentration but Naruto was capable of molding his chakra and then focusing it into a certain area of his body to produce what for a lack of a better term were chakra chains. It had taken him a couple days to recreate the technique but he could finally summon them.

Inside Konoha Naruto had to be careful were he summoned these chains, they were way more destructive then he had first thought. While the chains had simply bounced off the Kyūbi, Naruto had punched a hole through his wall the first time he had succeeded in making one. Naruto was hoping to find a big open space he would have to himself.

He had thought about using one of the training grounds but was afraid he would be discovered while trying to learn how to control the chains. Jumping up into a tree he saw that there was a clearing up ahead of him. As he broke the tree line he was unprepared for what greeted him.

In front of the blonde was a dilapidated compound with high walls that surrounded a central building. He was currently located on what had to be one of the sides to the compound. The blonde could have jumped over the wall but he was unsure if the buildings on the other side would be able to hold his weight. Curious, Naruto slowly made his way around the wall until he found the entrance. The building inside were in even worse shape than the exterior walls.

However, what caught the boy's eye was the large sign, crooked and covered in dirt, a simple spiral that ended in a circle. "_The symbol of the Uzumaki, my clan,_" thought Naruto in awe. He simply stood there dumbstruck by what he was seeing. Naruto was unaware that anything to do with his clan could be found in the Land of Fire. Slowly, as if any sudden movement would dispel these ruins like a genjutsu, Naruto approached what use to be the main building.

It appeared that the compound had been abandoned for a very long time. Plants had invaded the courtyard and trees almost 3 feet thick could were growing between uprooted stones. This place, much like Naruto had been abandoned and for the first time since meeting the fox Naruto felt at home. It was funny that the boy felt more at peace here than he ever did in Konoha and for the first time since his discovery Naruto felt hope.

Entering the main building by a whole in the wall, Naruto entered a room decorated with masks. "_It appears to be a shrine_," Naruto thought as he approached the multitude of masks. Unlike the surrounding buildings most of the Masks were intact. Each one different but all demonic in feature: Some had elongated teeth, others had faces set in a scowl, but the one that caught his attention the most was one of the masks close to the middle. It was a white mask, the hair and horns were both a dusky grey. The teeth and sclera of the eye were black.

It was one of the simpler masks. It was not as colorful or as evil looking as some of the others. Yet, it exuded a presence of power and despair. Naruto simply admired the masks; standing in a deserted and rotting building looking at the different portrayals of evil. Each mask a personification of what the artist viewed as wrong with the world. It wasn't so difficult to see each was connected to an emotion: Hate, lust, greed, jealousy, and many more were present in the expression stuck on each masks face. Each mask depicted a character defined by that emotion and denied the presence of the others. It was a joke and impossibility. It was unhuman.

Naruto had always been fascinated with masks, they hid a person's identity, and while wearing one even **a demon** could be treated normally. It had occurred when he was younger. The Third Hokage had given him an ANBU mask and small jacket as a gift for his birthday. After putting them on and playing ninja for a short time Naruto had left to return home wearing his gifts. His birthday fell on the date of the Kyūbi festival, a day of memory for all those that died in the attack, and it was the day that people made their dislike of him the most known.

Villagers would yell and scream at him and chase him down the road, only to give up when he rounded a corner. He was never allowed to join in the festivities, for reasons he now understood. Yet as Naruto made his way home that night people treated him like he was normal. As if he was just a child playing ninja.

They smiled at him and gave him food. Naruto had not removed the mask for over a week and it was the only time Konoha had ever accepted him. This was the power of a mask, anonymity. No one knew who you were so no judged you. With a mask no one could hurt you. Nonetheless, as time passed the villagers discovered his ruse. So with the removal of the real mask Naruto had donned another less noticeable one; a protective barrier between the blonde and the world, his smile. This big toothy grin was his shield. It made people overlook him and it predated his act.

The "smile" had become a defense mechanism. He smiled to hide his pain: not because he found enjoyment in things. The smile dictated the performance of a fool. The idea of being a happy go lucky idiot that was untouchable by the attacks of others was born from that false grin. They fit together so well that Naruto was unable to separate them.

It was why even after deciding to try and make up for all the time he had spent goofing off as a child, Naruto still could not stop acting how like an idiot to the world. The smile caused him to react; caused him to claim false determination in a hope he no longer believed in. The mask had become a part of the blonde, he no longer had to consciously act it simply happened.

The mask had taken on a mind of its own and removing it was proving to be more difficult than Naruto had first thought. Facial expression, favorite phrases, and emotional reactions: all pieces of the part Naruto had played for so long that they were no longer an act. They were no longer lines of a script but parts of his psyche. It was taking conscious effort to prevent this mask from taking precedent. Naruto now had to think about not being a fool.

Naruto had only noticed this fact when he had been approached by Jiraiya two days before. The meeting had taken place at Ichiraku's again but it was right after Naruto had discovered Whirlpool was little more than ruins. Jiraiya had approached the blond and apologized and tried to buy his way into Naruto's good graces. Naruto was in no condition to deal with the sage. The fact was the boy didn't even acknowledge the sage's existence. He finished his meal paid and turned to leave.

Yet as the sage called his name, Naruto had simply smiled and agreed. He agreed to avoid confrontation and it angered Naruto. It angered him that he let Konoha hold such power over him. That he cared so deeply about what people thought about him that his first reaction was to simply agree. That this action of agreement only confirmed what stereotype's a person saw in him. Even when his actions went in direct opposition to those stereotype's people simply wrote those instances off as unimportant.

That no matter how hard he tried Konoha would only see what it wanted to see. Even Jiraiya had simply thought that the chase had been a fluke. The sage was currently instructing a shadow clone in the theory of using the Kyūbi chakra; that being able to consciously draw on that power would be able to help the blonde beat Neji. Not that the clone would be able to draw on the chakra, only the real Naruto could do that. Or so the blonde had figured out while messing with his chains.

So in a sense Naruto was only humoring the sage. Jiraiya seemed to feel guilty about whatever he had done to the seal. Naruto had checked after talking to the fox only to find that the additional symbols had vanished. Whatever the sage had done had returned Naruto's previous level of chakra so he couldn't complain. Nevertheless, Naruto could not understand the sannin's continued interest in him.

Jiraiya had finished checking the seal; his duty was done. So why had the sage sought Naruto out to continue training him. Did Jiraiya feel bad about whatever happened to Ebisu? Who the blonde had not seen hide or tail of since the day his clone had been at the hot springs. It was unnerving, that a sannin had taken such an intense interest in Naruto right as he had come upon this change of allegiance. Although it was unlikely that even Konoha was capable of passively reading minds, Yamanaka aside. It made Naruto all the more jumpy to leave.

Naruto would have been happy to just continue down this line of thought had it not been that he sensed he was no longer alone. A slithering sound caught his ear and Naruto instinctively jumped back out the whole he had entered through. Where he had just been sitting a large amount of sand had gathered and was now rushing towards the blonde.

Dread immediately formed in the boy's gut as he recognized the jutsu. Once outside, Naruto quickly turned to face the newcomer. With dark lined eyes and love written on the left side of his forehead there was no mistaking who the red haired boy was. Stoic as ever the red head did not even seem to move as the sand slowly floated back towards him and coiled around his feet.

"Gaara wasn't it? Why are you attacking me?" Naruto ask while trying to think of a way out of this dangerous situation. Gaara had been able to take down Lee, someone who was much faster than Sasuke, without too much difficulty. It was also Gaara's bloodthirsty behavior that had Naruto on edge. The boy was obviously not here to talk. If the sadistic grin on his face was anything to go by. As if in pain, Gaara grabbed his forehead and said," Mother can since him, she wants your blood!"

Confused by what the red head meant Naruto was unprepared for a voice that resonated through his skull, "**Shukaku.**" The red head seemed to hear this and began to become more and more agitated. "Show me your blood!" and with that shout the read head's sand came to life once more and rushed Naruto. Naruto immediately dodged the sand and threw one of the few kunai he had thought to bring with him. The sand immediately altered its course and caught the kunai and again surged forward in an avalanche of deadly particles.

Naruto thought to himself, "_regular attacks will not work against this guy; and I am not fast enough to bypass his defense. I will have to out maneuver him._" Retreating into the forest, Naruto did not want to harm the shrine he had just discovered, Naruto immediately began to try and think up a strategy of how to defeat the homicidal red-head. Looking back over his shoulder he was pleased to see that Gaara was indeed following him.

"**Why are you running brat? Turn and face that weak raccoon!**" "_There is that voice again, who is this talking to me?_" "**Really brat? Are you so foolish as to not recognize my voice?**" "_Kyūbi, since when can you talk to me?_" _"_**Your seal is set up to syphon my chakra, my consciousness and my chakra are connected it is easy to communicate with you if I so choose.**"

Naruto was unsure if he liked this arrangement, his mind was his safe heaven and he did not enjoy having it violated. In response the Kyūbi replied, "**as if I cared about the internal angst of a child. Now hurry up and defeat the raccoon, he only has one tail!**" While dodging yet another sand wave Naruto flipped into the trees and asked, "_What does a tail have to do with me being able to beat him?"_ The fox sighed and stated, "**You couldn't possibly think you were the only Jinchūriki**."

Understanding dawned on Naruto. Looking back at Gaara, who was currently salivating from the mouth, Naruto realized he was not as alone as he once thought. It simply clicked that the way Gaara was treated by his squad mates was exactly like how Naruto himself was treated by Konoha, with prejudice and fear.

As the blonde continued to dodge attack after attack it became clear what needed to be done. Gathering his chakra he slowly began to condense it in his hands. The blonde had never tried to form chains this way before but with the amount of movement needed to dodge a moving mound of sand it was impractical to use his stomach or back. When he finally had enough chakra to form the chains he immediately went on the offensive and formed chakra chains from his hands.

The chains that extended from his fingers crashed into the sand and quickly dispersed it. Yet, they were not the same chains that appeared from his chest or back. These chains were much smaller and flew much faster. Gaara's sand immediately jumped to defend him but was incapable of forming a complete defense with so much of its mass so far from the red-head. As a result the chains were easily capable of penetrating the sand and striking the surprised boy behind it; trying not to hurt Gaara anymore than necessary Naruto's chains incased his opponent instead of skewering him.

As the chains snaked around the younger boy's flesh the sand immediately ceased all hostile action and returned to protect its master. It tried to force its way between the chains and Gaara. This increase in pressure, as the chains did not give, only caused the boy to be constricted more. In this fight one of Naruto's chains cut a thin line along the red head's arm. Gaara's eye's went wide at this new sensation and in response began to trash around like a snake trying to get free.

To prevent the boy from falling out of the tree he was currently in Naruto tightened his grip on the boy. Gaara let out a wail of pain, as the chains constricted around him, before finally looking up at the blond in fear. It was a look Naruto knew well. A look he himself had given many a time: a look of fearing the unknown, of not knowing how to react and fearing the worst.

It was then that Naruto realized that Gaara was in fact worst off them him. Naruto did not immediately link physical touch with pain. Yes he flinched when people touched him but that was more out of surprise then fear. Gaara on the other hand seemed to think that Naruto meant him immediate harm.

Naruto did not approach his catch, much like with the fox Naruto simply waited for Gaara to calm down on his own. It took over half an hour of just waiting as the child raged, screamed, and fought until Gaara had warn himself out. A few time Gaara tried to attack the blonde but all Naruto had to do was tighten the chakra chains and the sand would simply go right back to trying to defend.

As the sand slowly fell to the ground no longer being held afloat by Gaara's chakra, Naruto slowly retracted the chains as he approached the red head. Inch by inch the blonde got closer and closer, ready in case Gaara tried anything. Gaara, exhausted from his breakdown, did not even seem to notice the blonde was approaching. As Naruto sat down beside Gaara the red head finally noticed him and stated in fear, "Please don't kill me." In response all Naruto said was, "Kill you? Now why would I kill my baby brother?"

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The idea of Naruto's mask becoming an automatic response has been proven. It is called Automaticity: fast, effortless, unintentional reaction to a stimulus. It can save resources in the brain and it often happens without "conscious" thought. For instance, a person stubs their toe. The action itself may or may not cause pain, but often before the pain stimulus even reaches the brain a person says "ouch" or curses without thought. You don't think about these things, they just happen.

The same can be said for stereotyping people. You are walking down a dark alley, "when a man in an oversized hoody steps out in front of you with his hand in his pocket." Think about this man what do you think he looks like? What are his intentions? The fact of the matter is we have no physical basis for any of conclusions made. These "guestimations" are based on an individual's prior knowledge and are used to evaluate any given situation. This Automaticity is also the basis of Social Judgments (Bigotry and racism to name a few) which can be considered how the village looks at Naruto (they degrade him because of his status as a Jinchūriki).

These processes do not involve higher cognitive function. Those functions actually often disprove Social Judgments yet are quickly given a back seat until the stereotype is proven wrong. This action of judging someone before you know them is how in all honesty before the chunin exams everyone thought Naruto was hopeless. However, often times a person will stick with the "stereotypical definitions" even after they have been proven false many times. The stereotype can be tweaked but it often maintains its original form.

Automaticity in abuse cases, like Naruto's, is the first barrier that must be cracked by the outside world. It is a shell personality that acts normal to hide the underlying issues. This false acting is what leads Sigmund Freud to create the disorder of multiple personality disorder, which to my knowledge has never actually been proven. Personality psychologists are still fighting about this as we speak. Many believe that Freud influenced his patient to believe she had more than one personality, which makes his stance flaud, can't remember her name at the moment.

The removal of this shell often leads to a breakdown. Take away this linchpin of normalcy and the underlying personality often crumbles. It takes a lot of time to prove to an abused person that the abuse is not their fault, that they did not incur the abuse for some fault of their own. This can take MONTHS or it may never happen. Personality types also affect these roles. A follower is more likely to stay in an abusive situation while a leader may be able to break out of it on his or her own. The problem is ever case is different and every person reacts differently, it's what makes humans so diverse.

I am currently reading through a chapter called "The Psychological Impact of Child Soldering" by Elisabeth Schauer and Thomas Elbert. It can be found online and showcases the repercussions of children, defined as anyone under the age of 18, being used as soldiers. It you want a real world equivalent to how impossible the Naruto verse is look it up, but I warn you it is an eye opening thing. It has abstracts of interviews with child soldiers and the psychological problems that come with children being introduced into a militia and being used on the front lines. After reading this I may never be able to look at Naruto the same again.

With the relationship between Shukaku and Kurama, they hate each other; I am actually really surprised Gaara did not seek out Naruto like he did Sasuke during the month of training. Also if Gaara had not been in his Jinchūriki form cannon Naruto would likely never have defeated him. He was nowhere near fast enough to bypass Gaara's shield and had no technique capable of penetrating it. Gaara's reaction to the cut is also plausible. Touch can be considered the most important sense for a child. Yet Gaara cannot be touched and I am beginning to wonder if before time skip he can touch others. So when he is touched he would be unable to comprehend the sensation or detect its meaning.

Also Gaara's breakdown can also occur. Children are often considered centralized but you could also consider it Narcissism. They interact with the world based on how it affects them. So when they have a breakdown, not a tantrum but a psychological breakdown. They often do not actively engage in the outside environment. They freeze, they try to escape, and they thrash around. It is often better to let the breakdown occur in full, not if there is danger of the child hurting themselves or others, because the intervention of someone trying to stop it may just make it worse.

The point about Gaara I find so interesting is him and blood. **Hemophobia**, fear of blood can take many forms, such as Tsunades, yet to someone who relishes the blood of others blood may take on a different meaning. In Gaara's mind blood is an anxiety release caused through murder. Therefore, Blood and death are synonymous to Gaara. So when confronted with his own blood, no matter the amount, Gaara would immediately think he is dying. Death scares Gaara, he does not want to die otherwise he would not fight back against the assassin's his father had sent.

As for the mask temple it is not specified by Sasuke or anyone else in that group how far outside the village the Mask Shrine is. Yet it can be hypothesized that it must be relatively close for the speed at which they were able to travel from Konoha to the shrine and back. Naruto not finding this shrine is a loop hole I always found entertaining. Yet I doubt he would have recognized his clan symbol before Kakashi told him what it was. This week is incredibly busy for me so I probably will not be able to update until the weekend or beginning of next week. –Louis the Gator


	4. Changes

Thank you for your reviews :) I should have said last chapter that I would not be able to start working on this chapter until the beginning of the week. I also received a review saying my paragraphs were too long and for that I apologize. As a research assistant I spend a lot of time reading master student dissertations, or prospectuses, and paragraphs in those can go on for pages. So I thought my paragraphs were relatively short but I guess I was wrong, if this format is preferred I will go back and reformat earlier chapters. Enjoy the chapter and there is an AN at the bottom describing both my take on chapter 670 as well as a few points made in this chapter.

**I do not own Naruto or One Piece; no money is made from this story.**

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"I've told you before. You shouldn't judge people based on appearances and your preconceptions."

― Masashi Kishimoto

There was no other way to say it, Gaara was odd. He acted like a blood thirsty psychopath but in reality he was just a scared kid. The redhead acted the way he did not only to appease the Ichibi, the reason Kyūbi kept talking about tails, but also to scare his would be assassins. Lying there without any chakra, at his lowest point, all Naruto saw in Gaara was a child that had been forgotten by the world and who would never forgive them for it.

Calling Gaara "Little Brother" seemed to be so unexpected that the redhead did not know how to respond. So Naruto explained his reasoning, "you and I are the same." Such a simple statement but it was so packed full of meaning: the pain, the loneliness, and fear. It was so unexpected to find a brother in arms that they both simply sat there in silence staring at one another.

After being alone for so long neither really knew what to say, how to act, what to do in the presence of another. So they sat in silence, enjoying simply being in the presence of someone who understood. They sat in silence so long for Gaara's chakra to have begun recovering. As Gaara's sand began to slither back towards the redhead Naruto began to talk.

The blonde spoke of his past, of his fears, of isolation. Of his world view of what he thought of Konoha. After a while Gaara started his own tale: of his life in Suna, of his place as Jinchūriki, of his uncle Yashamaru. Neither really knew where the conversation began; neither could tell when it would end as they continued long into the night. So began Naruto's family and with it the rumblings of a New Era.

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**ONE MONTH LATER (30 days)**

Kakashi Hatake was standing in front of the memorial stone thinking about the past. The attack by both Suna and Oto had brought up memories: recollections of the Third Great Ninja War, the Kannabi Bridge mission, and the deaths of both Obito and Rin. Of how Kakashi had taken for granted his team until they were gone. How he had promised Obito to protect Rin. Only to be the person who killed her.

The three members of the Yondaime's gennin squad had been more a team of Obito and Rin with Kakashi tagging along. In his youth Kakashi used to think he was superior to both Rin and Obito, that his genius made him above his need for teammates. That Obito was only dead weight and Rin was only there for her medical talent.

The mission to Kannabi Bridge had changed that. With the loss of Obito, Rin had folded in on herself for a very long time. She was no longer friendly; she no longer viewed Kakashi in the same light. It had taken their Sensei sitting them both down for a talk on the fragility of life for the two remaining members of the former team Minato to even begin to become reacquainted. Kakashi with all his skill had missed the deep connection between Rin and Obito.

Rin's infatuation with Kakashi had died with Obito. With the removal of her closest friend, Rin overcame her crush on Kakashi. Only to find that the boy she loved was gone. A part of Rin had died with Obito and all that was left was the love Rin had for her village. So instead of returning to Konoha with the three tails sealed within her, Rin had chosen to die to save Konoha.

It was terrifying how similar Kakashi's former team was to the current team seven. Each member was almost eerily similar to their counterpart: Sakura and Rin, Sasuke and Kakashi, Obito and Naruto. The only true differences were their sensei and the bonds the team shared.

Kakashi knew he was a horrible teacher. He had learned the basic techniques that his students needed help with before he had even turned ten. He had only vague memories of training in their use and such concepts were so ingrain in his psyche that they had become instinct than conscious thought. He could not explain how to mold the chakra to climb a tree because he no longer had to consciously think about it. While this was useful on the battlefield it meant he could not tell what they were doing wrong without resorting to using his sharingan, something he had been in no condition to use.

So he left his students to their own devices, after the exercise into a competition, and hoped to be more help to them as they matured. Like he had with Sasuke, the boy had finally gotten to a level that Kakashi was capable of teaching and the boy had excelled under that guidance. Yet, that did not help with the feeling of his failure to help either Sakura or Naruto.

Sasuke, much like Kakashi, was goal oriented. The boy was so focused on revenge he could not see that he could never do it alone. Even Itachi needed help when he was first starting out. Sasuke could not understand that it was not that Itachi was stronger when he graduated from the academy but the entire program had been changed to prevent another Itachi from being created.

Before the massacre it had been possible to graduate the academy when a teacher thought a student had learned enough, no matter their age. The current academy guidelines stated a student could not graduate before the age of 12. Kakashi had tried to tell the boy just this fact on multiple occasions during training only for the boy to storm away in a fury.

Sakura was exactly the person that Kakashi had first thought Rin to be. She was a girl stuck in a dream of love over a boy who would likely never return her feelings. She was ill prepared for the life of a ninja and unwilling to face the reality of the job. Sakura had had a major shock in both Wave and the Forest of Death. She was beginning to realize that book smarts would not always save her. That she needed the ability to fight without relying on her teammates.

Then there was Naruto. The boy was so much like Obito that Kakashi wanted to both cry and laugh at the same time. The overconfident attitude paired with abundant energy. The boy even had the same never give up attitude. The only real difference between was when they cried. Obito cried when he was troubled and Naruto cried when he was happy. The boy did not weep over the deaths of Haku and Zabuza but he had cried when they left wave.

Not to mention the blonde's parents. Minato and Kushina were the closest thing to parents Kakashi had after the death of his father. They had helped him overcome his failures. Kushina had forced his to confront what had happened to Rin and proved it wasn't his fault. Although Kakashi still stood by the fact that she had cheated! Sealing his chakra and binding him with her chains was not a fair interrogation technique to be used on allies. Yet Kakashi had felt lighter after talking with her.

With Minato's and Kushina's deaths, all the guilt and despair had returned. This led Kakashi to spend longer and longer portions of time thinking about what he had done wrong. Kakashi no longer really cared what other people thought about him, unlike a certain blonde.

Naruto was trying to overcome the hatred that was directed towards him and it was an inspiration to behold. The blonde kept on trying no matter how many times he failed and Kakashi hoped that one day the village would see Naruto for the amazing person he had turned out to be. Kakashi knew that the blonde's childhood had been rough, but at least he was safe.

Kakashi too had grown up isolated and while it hurt it was still living. In the beginning it was frightening to see how secluded Naruto was, how both his teammates had been so quick to belittle the boy. Grades were not everything and theory rarely outweighed experience when tested in the real world.

Both Naruto and Sasuke's inclusion in the chunin exam finals was a point of great pride for the jonin. They had both come a long way and to be able to congratulate them after their completion was something Kakashi had greatly looked forward to. Yet the fact that neither of his two students actually participated in their matches during the finals was an embarrassing turn of events. Kakashi was always late and Sasuke wanted to warm up before they arrived, so naturally the duo had arrived late.

Naruto had slept through his match. When the blonde had not shown up to the fight with Neji, the Hokage had immediately sent an ANBU to locate the boy. Naruto had been located in his apartment, dead to the world. It appeared that the blonde had been so excited for the match that he didn't fall asleep until the sun had almost risen and slept through his alarm clock.

After insuring his safety the ANBU immediately returned to inform the Hokage, he had not tried to rouse the blonde it had already been decided that Naruto's absence was to be seen as a forfeit. Then the Third then refused to postpone Sasuke's match, who was also absent, to prevent favoritism and so Kakashi was now the laughing stock of the jonin sensei.

Not that Kakashi could really blame anyone but himself. He was well aware his tardiness was frowned upon by his comrades and superiors. Yet, the act of being late was Kakashi's way of paying homage to his dead teammate. It was ironic that after all the times Kakashi had scolded his Uchiha teammate that it was Kakashi's tardiness had rubbed off on his students.

After the cancelation of Sasuke's match, Shikamaru had been the only actual Konoha genin to fight his opponent, Temari. Shino's opponent had forfeited and right after Shikamaru had forfeited after capturing his opponent, sighting chakra exhaustion, the invasion had begun. Just in time for both Kakashi and Sasuke to appear. It had been a chaotic few hours. A reminder of what war was really like and seemed to have an eye opening effect on the young genin.

Before that moment none of this generation's genin had ever been in large scale combat where an enemy could come from any direction at any time. To have people who were both able and willing to kill them without a moment's hesitation. While team 7 had faced Zabuza and Haku in wave it was very different to fight hundreds instead of just two. Kurenai and Asuma said members of their teams, team 8 and 10, were still in a form of shock. Not that Kakashi would look down on them for it.

To the newest generations the idea of war was something only read about in history books. Konoha had not been outright attacked by an enemy village in well over a decade. To this generation it was not war they feared it was the Kyūbi, the monster that too many people had become the very definition of evil and destruction.

This skirmish in the heart of Konoha had been a strong reminder that the Kyūbi was not the only threat out there. That while many brave ninja had died to stop the Kyūbi, many more died in the line of duty during the great wars. It was easy for civilians to forget about wars they had never witnessed. For children to down play the pandemonium of a battlefield they have never experienced. To hear about the deaths of unknown ninja in a place far from home and be able to go on with their lives like nothing was happening. To ignore the fact that war could strike at any time and for any reason in the elemental nations.

The fighting happening in the middle of the village meant that civilians were confronted with both the combat and the aftermath that followed battles. It had been a slow week filled with the residents of Konoha working to remove all the debris that could be found and burying the dead. The counselors were leading as the village while they waited for the Hokage to recover.

The Third Hokage had only barely survived his confrontation with Orochimaru and had been on strict bed rest for the past nine days. It would appear that Orochimaru vastly underestimated the power of his chosen summons, the First and Second Hokage, and it resulted in the missing-nin's loss.

The first had escaped from the thrall of the traitorous snake and freed the second from the jutsu as well. Together the two brothers were then able to attack Orochimaru and wound him enough to force his retreat. Afterwards the second Hokage, the creator of whatever jutsu Orochimaru had used, had talked the third through how to defeat the technique and prevent someone from summoning them again.

With both Sakura and Sasuke currently in the hospital as well after fighting Gaara, a battle that the two had lost, meant that team 7 was incapable of going on missions until the two recovered. Sasuke had yet to forgive Kakashi for making him miss his match and only Naruto's missing the exam as well prevented the young Uchiha from rebelling.

That and the fact the medical staff had both sealed his chakra and were watching the boy like a hawk to insure he didn't escape, like he had to train before the finals. Naruto did not seem all that angry about missing his match. The fact that the blonde was not more upset about missing the fight, he had only complained for a little over five minutes, didn't sit right with the jonin.

With no way to go on missions, Kakashi had decided to spend some time personally training Naruto to make up for the fact the jonin had been requested by the Hokage to train Sasuke in the use of his Sharingan. Kakashi was also to insure the curse seal had no more adverse effects on the Uchiha. Yet Kakashi still felt guilty about leaving the blonde with Ebisu.

Only to find the blonde's time was already taken. It had been a surprise to discover that Jiraiya had returned to Konoha and had taken the blonde on as an apprentice. This meant Kakashi had little to do but wait for Sakura and Sasuke to be released. So he had spent time helping with relief and reconstruction efforts or reminiscing on failures of the past. Which now that the jonin thought about it should be tomorrow.

Deciding that he had spent long enough in front of the memorial stone, the sun was setting, Kakashi turned back towards Konoha. As he walked back through the village Kakashi jumped up onto a roof to quicken his path home only for another man to appear. "It's been a while Lord Jiraiya," Kakashi stated as the Sanin appeared in front of him, "First time you've returned in… How many years has it been?" The sannin said nothing as he moved to lean on the guard rail that circled the building's roof. After a few minutes of tense silence Jiraiya replied, "Kakashi, I'm going to be looking after Naruto from now on."

This declaration surprised the Cyclops. It was well known that Jiraiya was rarely in Konoha because of his vast information network. If he was going to be taking responsibility of the blonde's safety then something must be very wrong. Jiraiya continued by saying, "Ever since Orochimaru left the village I have been keeping tabs on his movements. At first it was simply to make sure he didn't attack Konoha, but after a few years of roaming around the elemental nations he joined a certain organization."

Narrowing his eye Kakashi again, "What is it that you are trying to tell me? What organization?" The sage sighed before saying, "It goes by the name of Akatsuki, a small organization that consisted of 10 ninja to start with. It's an organization that focuses more on quality instead of quantity; because almost all of its members are S-ranked missing-nin. However, recently Orochimaru left the organization after having a fight with one of its other members, Itachi Uchiha."

Kakashi froze at the mention of Sasuke's older brother and Jiraiya took this as a sign to continue talking. "When nine S-ranked missing-nins get together they are bound to be after something big. It's difficult enough just to deal with one of them but the organization seems to be bidding its time. They are sticking to simple mercenary work at the moment, but they are spread out through all the elemental nations. They appear to work in groups of two and are looking to acquire new jutsu, among larger targets."

Kakashi's immediately narrowed his eye, "would something on their shopping list happen to have nine tails?" Jiraiya grimaced but nodded his affirmation while replying, "It would appear so, and a new contact of mine indicates that while they appear to be simple mercenaries they are really looking for the location of all nine Jinchūriki."

Both ninja stood in silence for a while before Jiraiya stated, "Kakashi focus on Sasuke, it is Naruto's fate to live the remainder of his life looking over his shoulder. The third was smart to have put you in charge of his protection but its time he learned to stand on his own two feet. I'm trying to teach him how to harness the fox's power but he seems reticent to use it. What happened to make him so against its power?"

Kakashi sighed and explained the events of wave and how Naruto had used the power to almost kill Haku. Jiraiya sighed, "I see how that could affect him but he needs to understand that the Kyūbi is too strong a power to simply ignore. The boy has more chakra then even I do, but what makes him so unique is the density of his chakra. When he grows up the brat will be an outstanding ninja. His parents would be proud."

As the two ninja continued to reminisce, neither noticed the shadow that slowly receded from a neighboring rooftop. The shadowed figure slowly and methodically crawled back across the roof, careful to stay out of sight, until he reached the edge of the building and quietly dropped into a nearby alley. Upon reaching the ground the figure quickly moved through the trashcans and dumpsters. As the moonlight struck the figure, blonde hair and whiskers came into relief. Quickly moving down the alley the boy began to think, "_It's ahead of schedule but this information is too important to wait._" Passing back into the shadows the blonde burst into smoke, leaving behind an empty alley.

Up above a Cyclops narrowed his eyes. Kakashi was sure he had heard seen something, yet he had not arrived in time to identify what it was. Moving his headband so that his sharingan was no longer obscured; he looked once more into the dark alley. Not a soul to be found. Yet there was a chakra that permeated the scene, a chakra that Kakashi recognized.

* * *

In a small gambling town along the coast the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers a boy walked out of one of the few restaurants in town. The boy had short blonde hair and was wearing thin oval sunglasses even though the sun had long since set. Wearing a loose long sleeve white shirt, that buttoned at the top, tan plaid pants and simple sandals the boy looked like any other child headed home.

It would be hard for anyone in the small town to believe that the orphan who called himself "Kichi" was in fact a missing-nin. They would have commented on the absence of weapons, for a good ninja needed good weapons. Or that the boy was much too laid back to be a killer.

If they only knew, Naruto quite liked life outside of Konoha: no one to glare at him, no one to bother him with promises of learning a new jutsu only to waste his time, and no money problems either. It had been a fortunate accident that had drawn the young blonde into one of the many gambling establishments that were common in the small towns around the land of Fire. It had rained twice in the past week, with the start of the rainy season in the land of Fire.

On one of these days Naruto had ducked into the nearest building to try and stay dry. Low and behold there were no laws restricting gambling age in the land of Fire which meant the blonde was free to make a killing. He had spent one coin in a slot machine to pass the time after watching some adults' waste pouches of coins. It a seemed he was just lucky at these kinds of things, he hit the jackpot on the first try and hadn't lost yet.

After collecting a good 50,000 ryō from the gambling houses in the unfortunate town Naruto left to find another. In the next town it only took him about three hours to doubled his monetary supply and had quickly left the town to escape the enraged adults that thought he had cheated.

This whole new way of life had been made available by Naruto's talk with Gaara. The redhead had warned the blonde about Suna and Oto's planned invasion and the blonde had decided he would never get another chance like this and Naruto had warned Gaara about Sasuke. That Kakashi was likely teaching his teammate something that was capable of penetrating the sand shield. Gaara had listened and decided he would come up with a different plan for beating the Uchiha instead of his normal approach.

Naruto had asked Gaara not to kill the raven haired boy or Sakura, not only because to some extent Naruto cared for his teammates but also for the backlash of the death of the last Uchiha. Naruto did not gain a brother only to lose him to revenge. The others were fair game.

The next three weeks had been spent plotting and preparing, reading in the library about geography of the Elemental Nations and the power struggle present in the modern world. Naruto had also spent a lot of time researching and acquiring provisions and other necessities that could not be bought outside of a ninja village: Solider pills, scrolls, more weaponry. Then the day of the finals Naruto had left a bunch of shadow clones hidden throughout Konoha and walked out as everybody else walked in.

The guards were far more concerned about what was coming in to the village then what was leaving it and so they let him walk right out under a transformation with only a distrustful glance. Although Naruto was quick to admit if he hadn't learned how to mask his chakra signature he would have been found almost as soon as he left the village. It was a natural phenomenon that caused the diffusion of chakra from the body into the environment, for energy to want to pass from an area of high concentration into an area of low concentration. This gave a ninja away because the larger the concentration differential the quicker the diffusion occurred.

Kakashi had stated Naruto's reserves were larger than the jonin's own. Naruto had so much chakra that he appeared like a beacon to every sensor within 2 miles. He also did not want to be constantly moving, which would be required if it was so easy to locate his chakra. So Naruto made a seal.

It was a very simple seal. Simply the symbol "_Change_" surrounded by "_Channel_" and "_Branch_" symbols that snaked like roods around his body. With a simple on and off mechanism that could be flipped on or off with a single hand sign Naruto had acquired the greatest mask of all time. It didn't really block his chakra as much as prevent it from leaking out of his tenketsu. The seal simply changed the permeability of his skin to chakra, so he no longer lost chakra to the environment.

To the world he appeared to be an average civilian, in reality he was amassing chakra and storing it for when it was needed. The interesting part of Chakra was that the body produced only as much as it needed. When his reserves peaked production of Chakra slowed to a crawl, even his seal stopped siphoning chakra from the fox. He had spent a week with the seal on and he felt no different than when he had been experimenting with it for a few hours at a time.

The wondrous thing about sealing circuits placed on skin was that with a continuous supply of chakra it was not required to reapply the circuit. Overtime the chakra would replace the ink. As the skin shed old cells and grew new ones the ink of the seal would slowly fall off. Chakra would naturally fill these slight holes in the circuit and morph to become like the ink. So after a few weeks Naruto's suppression seal would be permanent and fade away like the seal on his stomach. He wouldn't have to worry about it being seen when he bathed. The ink itself was waterproof so it could not be sweated off, but he had to bath at awkward times to insure no one saw him.

Those more adept at using seals could turn their very chakra into this "ink" and skip the long drawn out process mixing the ink and blood to form the substance used for Fūinjutsu. These adepts could also use that chakra to apply memorized sealing arrays with but a touch. Masters of Fūinjutsu could create new seals and visualize the final product in their minds and apply the seal simply through contact with their chakra.

However, Naruto's scroll only mentioned this fact in passing, it did not detail how to accomplish this fact. At least not yet, reading ahead in Fūinjutsu was likely to cause him to try something he was not yet ready to accomplish.

Naruto liked his suppression seal. It made using jutsu more difficult but not impossible. He was able to force his chakra through this new barrier but only in very small amounts. He was capable of using the academy transformation because it required so little chakra as well as a regular illusion clone which was so ironic it made him laugh. With such a small amount of chakra, equivalent to a basic academy student, was nowhere near threatening enough to arouse suspicion from anyone.

Yet, it did not change the fact that while he could not release his chakra from his body did not mean he could not wield it. He had escaped from Konoha's borders with all the skill of a trained ninja but left little to nothing behind to be followed.

This seal also slowed the reabsorption of knowledge of his clones. While the seal was meant to prevent chakra from leaving the system, not entering, the permeability change seemed to alter how chakra was absorbed as well. This made reabsorption much less disorientating and allowed Naruto to slowly increase the number of clones he had out at any given time.

After reaching the first town Naruto, turned the seal of for a brief moment to create clones. He had then instructed his clones to take all his clothing, that was Konoha related, and disperse it throughout the land of Fire. All in the direction of the country's borders so that it appeared he had fled. Turing his seal back on the blonde reapplied his transformation and then entered the town.

He immediately had gone and acquired the clothes he was currently wearing along with a few spares before slowly making his way further and further from Konoha. In the next town some flesh toned face paint covered his cheek marks to prevent anyone from recognizing him, when not transformed, and a haircut; he had done himself in the mirror the bathroom at a hotel, to shorten his hair to keep it out of his eyes, since he was no longer wearing a head band.

The result was a boy that bore only a hint of a resemblance to Naruto Uzumaki. Without the baggy clothes Naruto's physique was more apparent and gave him a more defined look. Yet the greatest change for Naruto was his ability to drop his mask. Outside of Konoha: away from all the familiar hateful faces, oppressive building, and resentful atmosphere. Naruto found it much easier to simply be himself, to relax and simply enjoy life. To wear a lopsided smile out of enjoyment and to joke and poke fun at others with a confidence he had not had in Konoha. It was invigorating to have freedom, to have the ability to chart his own course.

In Konoha he had followed. Ninja villages were built around hierarchy. A genin obeyed a Jonin, because the jonin was both more skilled and more experienced. After tasting the freedom he had now, Naruto knew he would never be able to go back to following orders. This freedom was intoxicating. To do what he wanted when he wanted, such a simple ideology with such far reaching implications. He was free to choose his destiny and would never go back.

That didn't mean he was stopping his training, he had picked this very town for the fact that it was close to a neighboring allied nation that held only a small ninja village, Tanigakure. Most missions from this country were given to Konoha if they were above the rank of C. This meant that while this little town saw a steady flow of travelers they were mostly of the civilian kind headed towards Konoha to hire ninja. The border was sparsely guarded at best and after the news that Suna had surrendered to Konoha any extra ninja on the border had been recalled.

It was amazing how blind people could be. How easy it was to fool those that were supposed to live their lives in the shadows. He had met a handful of Konoha ninja in the past week. He had even gambled against them. Yet, they never realized they knew him. A chunin that use to teach at the academy had called him gifted at math. A former secretary for the Hokage whom he had spoken to on multiple occasions had passed him without a second glance. Heck a Hyuga had looked at him strangely for a minute before shaking his head and continuing on his way.

They were so caught up in the moment, in protecting their village, that they ignored all else. Naruto realized that looking underneath the underneath was not something widely believed in by Konoha and the blonde was going to capitalize on it.

He was about a third of the way through the scroll at the moment and was now capable of creating simple seals. It would be awhile yet before he could use the spiral pattern of his ancestors but it was pretty easy to form modern Fūinjutsu with Uzumaki symbols. He spent the nights holed up in his hotel room endlessly copying and recopying the symbols of his clans Fūinjutsu. It had a calming effect on him: the motions of the brush on paper, the repetition, and the silence.

Although the greatest breakthrough the blonde had discovered was how to create barriers with his chakra chains. By overlapping the chains the excess chakra naturally wanted to fill in the gaps between the chains. It was almost like forming bubbles. He simply slid the chains over each other and a thin sheet of chakra stretched between them. These barriers were very impressive and appeared to block all chakra from either entering or escaping from the barrier. This ability and the large number of caves that dotted the land of rivers allowed him to continue his training with little fear of detection.

He had sadly not made much headway with his finger chains or "strings" as he liked to call them. The strings thinner width made it easier for him to slice and pierce through things but harder to simply restrain them. It was a simple matter to catch his prey. Yet, the string's durability was such that if he was not careful, if he over compensated even the smallest amount, the motion was exaggerated by the sting and would either crush or cut whatever he had ensnared.

He was hoping to be able to use his strings to control others. Like the Suna puppet user, who happened to be Gaara's brother. But the few times he had practiced with clones he would wither cut off an arm or break a bone by simply twitching a finger in the wrong direction.

Naruto stopped mid step, as the latest of his clones left in Konoha dispersed. They were dispersing at a much faster rate than he had hoped. He had left 25 clones, 20 of which had already dispersed, within the confines of Konoha. They were to act like the real Naruto for as long as possible to insure his absence went unnoticed. Yet the information this clone had discovered was disconcerting.

An organization named Akatsuki, made up of S-ranked ninja, was targeting him and the other Jinchūriki. He would have to accelerate his plans. Entering the gambling house "Kichi" bore witness to a busty blonde bet on the worst possible odds and was that a pig?

* * *

Yes, I know many of you were looking forward to the Neji vs Naruto fight. It will happen, but not yet. Cannon Naruto should not have been able to beat Neji, even if the hyuga had a jaw of glass. I have already decided how Naruto will beat Neji and I promise it will be both insightful and possible.

Automaticity, covered in last chapters Authors Note is often connected to environments. Removing a person from a known environment and putting them in a new place can make it easier to "break" a mask. This environment must be none threatening, and the person must want to change behavior, or it will only make them cling to the mask harder.

As for Kakashi he is not ignorant as much as human. Humans as a hole think they see more than they actually do. Our "reality" is only as accurate as it is defined. Humans use inference to judge others far more often than they actually try to get to know them. In the beginning no one wanted to get to know Naruto and by the time people started caring they already thought they knew his personality. A troublemaker that is not very smart. With this character type in mind all other judgments about Naruto will be affected by these previous preconceptions. When these preconceptions are broken, and they will be broken, people will connect the dots and wonder how they missed these things.

This happens a lot in chronic mental illness cases. A person is diagnosed and the loved ones think back and realize that all these symptoms were visible, at least in part, years ago but they just thought it was a fluke. The problem is that to overcome these preconceptions overwhelming evidence must be shown that the preconception is wrong. Which causes the person to go back and rethink what they had previously experienced finding the correlations. This idea will be why people, who will meet Naruto from now on and have no previous knowledge of his character, will be unable to see the boy as a foolish prankster, which will make finding him a lot harder.

On a side note "Kichi" means good luck in Japanese, or so my translator tells me. Naruto's new character design is that of a young Doflamingo. He won't be smoking because its not a habit I'm willing to give to a kid.

**SPOILERS IF YOU ARE NOT CAUGHT UP ON MANGA AS OF 3/26/2014… you have been warned**

Alright now for chapter 670… Reincarnation as Kishimoto is using it seems to be based in Buddhism, like other aspects of Naruto (paths of pain along with other things). In this form of reincarnation the "soul" is neither completely the same nor completely different in the new life as in the old. This means that while Asura and Naruto share similar traits they are different people. Each new life's placement in the Buddhism cycle is decided by the actions of the last life but its future is its own.

I am not speaking about religion. Every individual is entitled to their own beliefs and I will not even mention my own. However the idea that the soul will bring with it preset behaviors into the new life can be correlated with the idea that DNA also depicts behavior. With no memories of the past life, a part of the reincarnation cycle, it can be likened to the psychological conundrum of Nature vs Nurture.

In Nature your personality is preset in your DNA. Everything you do as a person: How you react, how you mature, and your perception of the world around you is based on the mixing of parental DNA. In other words it does not matter where you grow up or how you live you will be the same person no matter what.

In Nurture it is implied that DNA has nothing to do with how you act as an individual. It is your experiences in the world: how you are raised by parents, who your friends are, or your inclusion in society that decide how you will turn out. Here your environment is the only impact in psychological growth.

In reality it is both Nature and Nurture that explain behavior. There are genetic markers that have been correlated with increase hormone levels that can make people quicker to anger, among more complex things. The fact that these genetic markers can be found in multiple generations leads credence to the idea of Nature but it does not explain everything.

For instance Verbal Tics are a learned behavior (Nurture) Naruto should not be saying "Dattebayo!" without first hearing Kushina say "(da)ttebane" many times or someone else with a verbal tic say something similar, which I have yet to find anything other than guy and youth. The child pics up the tic verbatim and then overtime changes it in to their own verbal tic.

Also behavior is altered by what you learned, just because you have a genetic marker for something does not mean it will actually appear. This has been seen in separated Twin studies. While they are similar on a basic level, the twins do no always showcase the same model behavior. Both may be genetically predisposed to be quick to anger but on May one may be better at controlling that anger and preventing from outbursts. Tourette's is a very different thing and normally uses oral sounds like clearing throat or coughing instead of actual full words, unlike it is portrayed in the media.

Asura and Naruto have very different upbringings. Even if they are both supposedly talentless to start one had a loving family and the other was an orphan with very little outside aid. This difference could lead the same "soul" to live vastly different lives.

The largest problem I have with Naruto is the impossible differentiation in the manga between love and acceptance. They seem connected but they really are to very different ideas. It is possible for a parent to love their child and not accept what they become. It is possible to accept something without loving it. These ideas are not mutually exclusive or inclusive.

Also genius does not equate to evil! Just because someone is born with the ability to quickly learn something does not mean they are incapable of realizing it takes hard work to advance. That genius' are incapable of cooperation or following others. Nor does it mean that geniuses think themselves better than everyone else. I have a professor that has an IQ of over 165 and he is probably the humblest man I have ever met.

I will warn you now as this story begins to take shape I will be throwing you all surprises. I try to introduce ideas long before they take shape so they don't just appear. This story is not as simple as it may seem or as straight forward as many Fan fictions I have read. In the words of my favorite Professor "Lend me your ear and I will mess with your mind." I have a busy month ahead of me but I will continue to update at least every 2 weeks.

Well I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review. I really do read them all- Louis the Gator


	5. Chakra

Thanks for the reviews :) I have gone back and reformatted all earlier chapters. Made a few corrections I came across as well. Alright this chapter is scientifically dense towards the end… **Now before you all run away!** Open up a second window on your computer and type into a search engine "visible light spectrum" pull up one of the images that shows a bar with the colors of the rainbow on it and when you get to the portion of the chapter that covers this topic look at a picture to help you understand (it is measured in nanometers, the smaller the number the faster the frequency and shorter the wavelength).

I have done my absolute best to make this chapter accessible to people with no prior knowledge in any of the disciplines I cover. This chapter is me testing my ability to take complex information and put it in terms someone with no scientific background can understand. If you are confused PLEASE tell me, I will rewrite the section to try and make it clearer. This chapter is likely to be the most scientific heavy of the entire fic, the next will have some but not as much, after that its back to business as usual. The information I use in this chapter is my own hypotheses as to how chakra would work in real life, I have not seen this attempted anywhere else, please do not use this hypothesis without my permission!

**I do not own either Naruto or One Piece: no money is made from this story.**

* * *

"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration." ― Nikola Tesla

"_Adults are idiots,_" Naruto thought as he once again raked all the betted money towards himself. This was his tenth win in a row against the same 3 people. "_I mean fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me… so what does fooling people ten times get me?_" It was the same thing everywhere he gambled.

The blonde would walk in to the gambling house and the owners would try to make him leave. Only for these same people to treat Naruto as an old friend when he brought out 10,000 ryō to exchange into gambling chips. The boy would then go and find an open table and simply observe. Naruto had a very simple strategy, win moderately until he could figure out who the big spenders were. Find an opening to move to that table, lose a few hands to make them over confident then take their money.

Naruto's gambling prowess did not come from him cheating. It came from his observation skills and instincts. Naruto could read drunk old men like open books. These merchants were all the same: either entering the Land of Fire with full purses to purchase goods or leaving it after selling their wares. It meant lots of money in a sleepy little town. So of course these men spent the night drinking and gambling away their fortunes.

Their greed was their undoing. There was a fine line between making it big and losing it all. Caring only for gold and power meant that they were blind to the trap until it was sprung. Naruto simply gave his opponents that little push and reaped the rewards. The looks of surprise that flashed across their faces only to quickly turn to anger. Yet, they would never dirty their reputation by attacking a child. It would cost them more money in the long run.

Yet, this woman he was currently playing against was different from any other gambler he had ever met. She lost every hand. She never seemed to expect to win; she never got that look of anticipation. She simply kept the money flowing. It was why the two greedy men were still sitting at the table, having lost most of their own chips long ago. A few lucky hands had them back in the game and hungry for more. What was wrong with this woman? Why did she seem to expect to lose, no matter what was dealt into her hand?

Naruto had made his quota for that night long ago. Sitting on almost 75,000 ryō meant he could go for a while. Heck 25,000 would last him a month. So when he saw a look of astonishment flicker across the woman's face. He took a chance. Raising the bet by 10,000 ryō, the combined total of the 2 men, he let this woman win.

It is said that a person learns more through failure then they do through winning. However, Naruto learned a great deal more about this woman in front of him when she won: eyes wide with astonishment, mouth open in a gasp, and a flicker of a something he had not expected. Chakra, dense and thick permeated the room for a brief instant. It was enough to spook the onlookers into making a quick exit. The black haired woman who stood behind the blonde whispered, "Lady Tsunade."

Astonishment flickered over the younger blonde's face, "_What is it with me and running into these people?_" He wanted to smack himself; the woman looked exactly like the description of the Slug Princess. Giving the woman a lopsided grin the blonde said, "Congrats," and made his escape. While Naruto was confident in his seal he was unwilling to chance being discovered.

Making a hasty retreat to his hotel room Naruto quickly began to pack up his belongings. It was too risky to stay in this town. Naruto would leave under the cover of night and spend a few weeks in the mountains of the land of Rivers. This room had been paid for through the end of the week, but he doubted the old owner would even spare a thought for his sudden disappearance. Finishing his packing the boy quickly made his way to the window.

Opening it he jumped down onto the street and started making his way towards the edge of the town. It would be best to simply take his time leaving and not attract to much unwanted attention to himself. It was well past midnight and the roads were disserted. Skirting around the places that were open late lessened the chance of someone witnessing the blonde leave.

He was almost at the edge of the town when someone called out from behind him, "Now where are you running off to this late at night?" Turning around Naruto came face to face with one of the men whom he had been taken money from not an hour ago. The man was surrounded by four heavily armed guards. "_I don't have time for this,_" Naruto thought while replying, "Look mister I'm really late getting home and I don't want any trouble."

"Oh don't worry, this won't take long I just want back the money you stole from me." The guards chuckled and started advancing towards the boy. Sighing the boy prepared to simply run for it. These idiots weren't worth the time or the possibility of someone noticing his presence.

Yet, before the guards got within five feet of him a smoke bomb landed in between the four men. As it burst Naruto heard the guards begin to cough and then the clang of weapons falling onto the ground. Looking to the left where the smoke bomb had been thrown the companion of the blonde woman from earlier stepped out with a stern look on her face.

"How could you attack a child to get back money you were willing to lose?! It was obvious he won fair and square," the black haired woman raged, as she stepped in between Naruto and the drunken merchant. After seeing his guards fall, all of the man's bravado left him. Cowering in front of the angry woman the merchant made a hasty retreat without so much as a word.

The woman turned back to face the blonde and said, "Are you alright?" Naruto simply nodded and turned to leave. "Wait, if you need a place to stay the night you are welcome you could stay with us. It is much too late for child to be out wandering around alone." Naruto simply chuckled, "I was told never to trust strangers, thank you for your help but I am more than capable of taking care of myself."

The woman had the decency to look abashed, "Where are my manners? My name is Shizune." She then looked at Naruto expectantly. "Kichi," Naruto replied not seeing a way to end the conversation without it looking suspicious. Shizune continued to look at him expectantly but when he didn't elaborate she asked, "Why did you let Lady Tsunade win?"

"_Busted,_" Naruto thought while his hand instinctively rose to scratch the back of his head. Thinking on it for a moment the blonde finally replied, "I was curious and I felt bad about taking all her money. So I let her win."

Shizune smiled and replied, "That was very nice of you. Now why are you leaving in the middle of the night?"

"_Why do you ask so many questions?_"Naruto thought irritably as he blamed the merchant for his attempt to leave town and the fact that he was late getting home. Shizune looked surprised, "the villagers seem to think you're an orphan."

Naruto couldn't prevent the flinch that accompanied the statement. He didn't think through his statement. Shizune seemed to notice and glared down at the boy with her hands on her hips. Naruto had no idea how to respond to this particular pose. He had witnessed many others be subjected to this look, but it was a very different thing to have it directed at him personally. So Naruto simply stood there fidgeting and waited for Shizune to do something.

After a minute or so Shizune simply step forward and grabbed his arm and started pulling him back into town, "Well it's settled then, you're coming with me."

Naruto was too stunned by the turn of events to do much more then be pulled along silently. Here was a woman who was actually willing to touch him. Every other female he had met, Sakura included, looked at him with nothing but distain. So to have someone who was actually touched him voluntarily for no apparent reason was highly disconcerting.

Every other touch he had ever experienced was easily definable: preventing escape, preventing injury, or in response to his own actions. No one had ever instigated physical contact with the blonde of their own accord. Therefore, Naruto was highly unsettled by this contact but was afraid to pull away. He didn't want to be glared at again.

It was then that Naruto realized Shizune was talking to him, "… can sleep in the second bed and I will take the sofa. I also need to check to make sure you are really okay." Alarm bells began to ring in the young blonde's mind. If she saw his seal it would without a doubt get him caught. Getting his bearings he realized he was already nearing the center of town. His window of escape was quickly closing.

Digging in his heels and wrenching his arm out of Shizune's grasp, Naruto said, "Look lady I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I've been doing it for years. I do not need your help!"

Shizune seemed surprised by the outburst and uncertain of how to proceed. Yet then she smiled and said, "I do not doubt that you can take care of yourself, but just because you can do something does not mean you should have to do it." This confrontation would have likely have continued long into the night if a certain other blonde hadn't decided to make herself known.

"Shizune what are… you doing?" Both woman and child turned to look to see a drunken Tsunade. Leaning against a wall and red faced, the woman looked like she could barely stand up right. Naruto noted that her speech did not seem overtly affected by her inebriation. She took one step forward lost her grip on the wall and fell in a mass of limbs. Shizune rushed towards the blonde woman and Naruto took this as his cue to leave.

Turning his back on the two women he once again started to leave, only to be from behind for the Slug Princess to call out, "Hey you're the brat I beat!" Naruto simply gave her a look that said, "Duh."

As Shizune scolded Tsunade for her language and helped her stand up, Naruto realized the dynamic between the two women. Shizune obviously differed to Tsunade. It only took an aggravated look from the blonde woman to silence her. If he could annoy Tsunade into not liking him he would not have to worry about Shizune. So Naruto began to hatch a plan.

Adopting his masks obnoxious voice the blonde replied snidely, "You got lucky Granny!" Women hated to be called old. So Naruto hoped this comment would incite anger from the blonde to dissuade any idea of helping him. Yet, he made a single mistake in his calculations. He had no knowledge of Tsunade's temper. The sannin's amazing strength was covered thoroughly in the books he had read but not a single one mentioned how easy it was to incite a violent reaction from the woman.

The first punch he was actually able to dodge, the second barely nicked his chest and sent him crashing through three walls.

* * *

The first thing Naruto noticed when he woke up was he felt no pain. The second thing he noticed was that someone was in the room with him. Opening his eyes and setting up in bed Naruto came face to face with Shizune. "You need to tell your friend that violence is not always the right answer," he stated as he discretely looked around the room.

Shizune smiled, "She is not just my friend she is also my teacher." At the boy's questioning look the black haired woman continued, "Lady Tsunade is greatest medic-nin in all the elemental nations. She took me on as her apprentice before she left Konohagakure. I've traveling around with her for almost fifteen years now."

Deciding it best to play dumb Naruto asked, "What's ah Medic-nin?" Civilian children were often curious about ninja. Many viewed them as heroes with superpowers. Civilians preferred to focus on the aspect of ninja protected them instead of the fact that ninja fight other ninja. This would imply that ninja were also sent to kill civilians.

Shizune seemed to be fooled by the blonde's curiosity, "A medic-nin is a ninja doctor. Yet instead of relying entirely on medical drugs a medical-nin can use their chakra." Raising her hand a faint greenish glow appeared around it. This chakra is special. It is capable of healing wounds.

"What makes it so special?" Naruto asked.

Shizune stopped to think before saying, "Chakra is a form of energy. This energy can be changed into many different forms. Medical jutsu involves converting chakra into a form that the human body can use. This energy is then used to stimulate the natural healing of an injury at an accelerated rate. A master of medical ninjutsu can further refine the chakra to stimulate the growth of certain cells in the body."

The blonde nodded and asked, "Like bone cells, muscle fibers, or skin cells?"

Shizune seemed surprised at Naruto's insight into the topic but nodded, "Yes, on the surface it appears as if this technique, called the Mystical Palm Jutsu, appears to simply require forcing the chakra into a patient's body. Yet, it is much more complicated then it appears. Each Cell type in the human body is specialized to perform a specific task. To do these tasks the different cells require different resources. So the Mystical Palm Jutsu not only stimulates the natural healing process but it also boosts the body's creation of these resources. However, the creation of resources can be dangerous. The human body naturally tries to stay in homeostasis: equilibrium of temperature, water levels, and many other things. If a medic-nin overstimulates the production of a resource it can cause the human body to go into shock and be lethal to the patient."

It would appear that medical ninjutsu was far more complicated than it appeared. Naruto decided to ask one more question. "Why was it green?"

Shizune laughed, "Well aren't you curious. As I said earlier chakra is energy, because of this it gives off energy in a form that your eye can see."

Naruto frowned, "But I thought chakra was supposed to be invisible?" Shizune turned to glare at him, "You seem to know a lot about chakra for a civilian."

With a lopsided grin the boy shrugged, "I'm originally from Yugakure. I trained to be a ninja but I didn't pass the graduation exam before the demilitarization took place. With no family or way to earn a living at my age I simply left. I've been travelling slowly from town to town and here I am."

This was a cover story that Naruto had devised while still in Konoha to explain his chakra levels if he was ever caught. This was a lie mixed with truth. He really hadn't passed the academy graduation exam in Konoha and Yugakure had finally succeeded in complete demilitarization only 3 years ago.

Yugakure had begun efforts to demilitarize over a decade ago, but it was not something that could happen overnight. Ninja had a very specific skill set and were well compensated for missions. A single d-rank mission earned on average 5,000 ryō in Konoha this was more than an average shot owner made in a week. It was difficult for anyone to lose income levels even more so for those who in many cases had no other skill set then combat. With no crafts to earn income many former Yugakure ninja quickly fell into poverty and with poverty came unforeseen problems.

A book Naruto had read in the Konoha Archive Library spoke of the large number of ninja that abandoned Yugakure in favor of mercenary work, which turned into a problem for Konoha. As well as, the multiple assassination attempts of village leaders by former ninja as revenge for the loss of their way of life. As a result Yugakure had been forced to remilitarize for a time to prevent rebellion. After this remilitarization Yugakure decided to take a longer term approach to dealing with their ninja.

To decrease the number of active ninja each consecutive year Yugakure simply allowed fewer and fewer people to become ninja. It had taken years but Yugakure was no longer a ninja village. There were still ninja in Yugakure, but worked strictly as a police force. This kept the ninja working and each year more of these "ninja" retired. Yet, now the land of Hot Springs, where Yugakure was once located, has no ninja force of its own and must rely on either Konoha or Kumo for protection.

This cover story offered an explanation for both Naruto's chakra levels and also a plausible explanation for his sealing skills. The way the ocean currents ran off the cost of the land of Fire made direct travel from the land of Whirlpools to the mainland difficult. The currents were so swift that it was much easier to dock in ports of either the land of Hot Springs or the land of Frost. Since there were no other Uzumaki in Konohagakure, he had checked the public census records available in the Archive. It was more likely that many Uzumaki took refuge closer to where they made land.

Shizune who had been quiet throughout Naruto's short tale seemed to smile, "That explains a lot. It explains why you were not more scared by the merchant yesterday. You were preparing just to run weren't you?" At Naruto's nod Shizune's smile turned sheepish, "Then I must apologize for stalling you. If I had simply let you leave lady Tsunade would never have gambled away your money."

At Naruto's look of outrage Shizune was quick to say, "Lady Tsunade really does not like it when people talk about her age. I was able to stop her from taking more than 50,000 ryō." This left Naruto with 15,000 ryō from last night, which would last him 3 weeks if he pinched, and the money he had been collecting over the last week. Moving towards his bag that had been placed in the corner Naruto insured that Shizune was telling the truth. While also making sure nothing else had been taken.

All his storage seals were still in their place. The simple security seals he had placed on them still intact. They would have been easy to break since it was only a "lock" symbol, but would have been hard to replace. He was also wearing the same cloths he had been wearing earlier so it made it less likely that anyone had seen his seal. With his belongings still in his possession Naruto tuned back to Shizune, only to find the woman fidgeting with the sleeve of her kimono.

After a moment the woman asked, "Kichi if you do not mind me asking why do you heal so fast? After Lady Tsunade punched you through the wall you had a large gash on your arm and it healed in front of my eyes. Do you know if you come from a clan?"

Naruto, while curious about the direction the conversation was headed decide to stay caution, "Not to my knowledge am I a part of a clan. I've always healed quickly from injury. Why do you ask?"

Shizune just shrugged, "Lady Tsunade wanted me to ask. I am sorry that I could not stop her from taking your money. Maybe I can make it up to you by teaching you a few ninja skills?"

Naruto was shocked by this offer. It was highly unlikely that Shizune would offer something of this magnitude without Tsunade's permission. So why would Tsunade, a sannin of Konohagakure be willing to teach someone that came from a former hostile nation? It did not make sense. Shizune did not apologize for Tsunade's violent behavior. This implied that such outburst were common for the Slug Princess. So she shouldn't feel guilty about that. Not to mention all the money Tsunade had taken, Naruto had made in one night. Something was going on here.

Naruto tried to look a little shy, "I am not so sure that is a good idea. Your teacher did not seem so fond of me at our last meeting and I have no intention of being punched through a wall again."

"Don't be so quick to throw away this chance brat," said a voice from outside the open window. Both occupants of the room turned to see Tsunade sitting down with her back against the window frame. The sannin continued by saying, "You may heal quickly but that can be just as much of a liability as an advantage. If your bones do not set right it can cause you both serious pain and hinder your range of motion. I'll teach you everything I can if you do something for me."

Naruto was immediately suspicious, "and what would I have to do for you?" Tsunade smiled, "I want to document your healing factor. Having the ability to heal severe wounds in seconds would greatly increase the utility of medical ninjutsu in the field."

It was a simple arrangement. Yet Naruto knew it would not last. He had plans and neither Tsunade nor Shizune would fit into those plans. However, Naruto understood he was not yet strong enough for these plans to be set into motion and so he would learn what he could before heading his own way.

He had explained this to the two women. That as long as he had things to learn he would help them, and how he learned. While Tsunade spent most of her time gambling her sorrows away. Shizune was an amazing teacher, able to quickly impart concepts onto a boy with only a basic first aid understanding of anatomy. Willing to devote vast amounts of time focused on her student. Happy to repeat difficult concepts until Naruto understood them.

They had started with the theory of medical ninjutsu. How the bones were connected: either by special muscles called ligaments. These ligaments could either prevent the bones from moving or allow them to move in certain directions. The movement that could be controlled, such as moving an arm or leg, was controlled by skeletal muscles. These muscles were so named because they connect bones together. When these muscles flexed they pulled on the bone causing it to move.

These muscles were what Naruto needed to learn to override if he was going to control others with his strings. The Human body was made to be flexible in certain directions and inflexible in others. If Naruto could override these muscle groups then he would be able to freely control anyone to do whatever he wanted. Shizune had shown him these muscle groups in drawings. How the biceps brachii, located on the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow, contraction caused the arm to flex. Another example would be contraction in the triceps brachii muscle, located on the back of each arm between the shoulder and the elbow, causes the arm to straighten.

Over a two day period Shizune took Naruto through each muscle group. What the purpose of each group was and how damage to each area could be treated.

The following week covered everything from the blood circulatory system to the nervous system of the human body. It turned into a fairly simple daily routine. Naruto would wake before the sun rose, while Tsunade slept off her hangover and Shizune recovered from taking care of her teacher. He would go eat in the little town and then make his way to the cave he used for training, always careful to insure he wasn't being followed. He would enter and remove his seal, which was beginning to fade, and summon thirty clones. These clones were to continue to work through the scroll and to go through the extra material that Shizune gave him to study.

While the clones worked Naruto would go through an exercise routine that Shizune had helped him create. While he had plenty of stamina he had never really worked out in a fashion that would build muscle mass.

As a human body became more physically fit it became better at staying active over a longer period of time without the aid of chakra: his heart would be better able to pump oxygenated blood, his lungs would absorb more oxygen per breath, and his muscles would be able to move longer without building up toxins. These toxins were created as a byproduct of creating the energy needed to move muscles. The more fit a body the less toxin was made. While this toxin was not lethal it would lead to very sore muscles in the future for a normal human being.

Chakra was able to counteract these adverse effects. Chakra could infuse the lungs to increase oxygen intake from the air. Chakra could infuse the heart muscle to make it pump harder and faster. Yet the amount of chakra used like this increased exponentially overtime. As more toxins built up in the system more chakra needed to be used to try and diffuse these toxins. The more toned his body the less chakra he would have to expend during fights to turn into physical energy to supply his muscles. Meaning he would be able to fight even longer and hit even harder.

After working out Naruto would summon a few more clones and work on his strings. With the knowledge he had gained about muscular and bone anatomy from Shizune he was better able to control others. He was capable of controlling one clone and could move it around even as the clone tried to break free. But this technique was difficult to use in an actual battle situation. When Naruto had his clones attack him while he tried to use this technique it quickly became apparent that he did not yet have the coordination to both use his strings and dodge blows.

This was his ultimate goal though so he was beginning to experiment with a fighting style that relied on the use of his legs and left his hands free to use his strings. This was slow in coming though and was awkward to create. Naruto was not yet flexible enough to bring his legs high enough to block blows aimed at his upper body. Nor did he have the balance to stay standing on one foot for an extended period of time. It would take a while but when it was perfected it would very difficult to anticipate or counter. Naruto looked forward to it.

As the sun began to peak into the mouth of the cave Naruto would personally make his way back to begin his lesson. Naruto enjoyed learning. He craved it and to have a teacher that was actually capable of teaching him was an experience he would enjoy while it lasted. Each class Naruto would start off with a quiz on the material covered the previous day and if he passed it would begin new material. If not he had to go over the material again. Today was a very special lesson though. It was a lesson about chakra.

Arriving back at the hotel, he had convinced Shizune to allow him to return to his own room because it was already paid for, Naruto entered and took a shower to wash off the grim and sweat from his work out. It would raise questions if either Shizune or Tsunade realized he was working out. While it would be easy to simply blame his new found understanding of anatomy. Naruto would rather not have to tell the two women anything.

Finishing his shower Naruto quickly dressed, insured his seal was not visible, and left to meet Shizune on the other side of town. Even though it was still early in the morning Tsunade was already gambling. Shizune had already told Naruto in confidence about the death of the two people Tsunade held so precious and how it had undermined the sannin's beliefs in her medical abilities. Naruto thought Shizune told him this to try and get him to keep gambling for Tsunade.

The slug princess was also a queen of losing money. The woman must have gambled away more than 100,000 ryō in a single night. Even Naruto wasn't capable of taking more money in then what Tsunade was capable of losing. The boy had tried the first night. Yet even when he won all Tsunade did was lose the money all over again the next night. There was no profit, and Tsunade refused to teach him. So he let Shizune draw his blood and teach him; while he left Tsunade to wallow in her despair.

What the two women were using his blood for was still a mystery to the blonde. Tsunade refused to even look at the needle being placed in his arm, while Shizune would have willingly spent an entire day studying his hyperactive cells. It would appear that even when outside of Konoha that Shizune had scrolls full of medical equipment capable of studying his cells. It only furthered his fascination with Fūinjutsu that so much could be stored in a scroll about the width of his wrist.

The boy arrived at the gambling house just in time to watch Tsunade lose a good 15,000 ryō on a single hand. Naruto had to physically pull Shizune out of the building so she would start teaching him.

When they arrived in a small clearing near a stream Shizune immediately turned towards Naruto and asked, "What is wave frequency?"

Naruto tensed, this was the topic that they had covered the day before, "Wave frequency is how quickly a wave vibrates in a given amount of time, the higher a wave's frequency the smaller the wave's length. An example would be that in the ocean a smaller wave is followed by another smaller wave much faster than a large wave can be followed by another large wave. However, in wave frequency as it applies to light smaller waves carry more energy than large ones do."

Shizune nodded and asked another question, "What is visible light."

Diligently Naruto answered, "Visible light is a kind of electromagnetic radiation. This radiation is a type of energy that is formed when particles, electrons or protons, are acted upon by outside forces such as: heat, pressure, and electrical current. This energy is formed in waves, like in the ocean. There is a very wide range of electromagnetic energy. This energy is classified by the frequency of the energy's waves. These waves can be either smaller than an atom or larger than a building. Depending on the frequency of these waves the radiation can be harmful to the human body."

Naruto took a moment to collect his thoughts then continued, "Visible light, light that can be perceived by the human eye, is a very narrow range of radiation found in the middle of the electromagnetic spectrum. Each visible color has a different wave frequency related to it. The list of colors from slowest wave frequency to highest is as follows: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Any wave length slower than red or faster than violet, while still present is not visible to the human eye."

Shizune smiled and clapped her hands, "very good explanation Kichi. We can now move on to chakra. As I told you earlier chakra is energy. In its natural state chakra is invisible to the human eye because the wavelength it gives off is higher than violet. This wave length is called ultraviolet. However, the density of chakra has a negative reaction on its wave's frequency. This means that as chakra becomes denser the wave length it gives off becomes slower. If the chakra becomes dense enough it drops into the visual spectrum and becomes visible to the human eye."

Shizune stopped to make sure Naruto still understood. After the boy nodded Shizune continued, "Each person has a unique chakra density that occurs naturally. The larger a person's chakra reserves the denser their chakra will be naturally. This occurs because as chakra is accumulated the body naturally tries to compact this energy to make room for more. The more chakra one has the more the human body tries to condense it."

Shizune continued her lecture by saying, "The denser a person's chakra the more energy is stored in a smaller amount. This means that it requires a smaller amount of chakra to perform a technique for someone who has denser chakra then for someone with less dense chakra. Because each person has a unique chakra density each person's chakra will naturally appear as a different shade. While most common shade of visible chakra is blue, there have been documented cases of chakra taking on any color in the visible spectrum."

Naruto asked, "Why is it usually blue?" Shizune paused before continuing, "It is normally blue because that is where the average chakra density of a human is located. There are limits to how dense the human body can make its chakra without external aids. My own chakra is usually blue, while lady Tsunade's is normally green. It is why she is so good at healing."

Naruto was again puzzled, "how does a chakra's color affect someone's performance at healing techniques?"

Shizune looked put out, "You are getting ahead of me but since you appear to understand what I just said I'll continue. As I said chakra's color decides the frequency at which a wave vibrates. However certain wave lengths are better for different things. Blue chakra is good for using jutsu because it is highly energized but still moldable. However blue chakra is too energetic in nature for use in medical techniques. The waves vibrate too quickly to pass through human tissue without causing harm. While all chakra is passive in the body it is created in, when introduced into a different body it must be made acceptable for the patient."

Pausing as a group of birds flew overhead Shizune continued, "Green is in the middle of the color spectrum as a result it is less energetic then blue but still carries enough energy to increase healing. More complex healing jutsu requires a medic-nin to exactly match the patient's chakra frequency. This gives the best healing effect because there is no disruption of the patient's chakra during the process. However for normal first aid and minor surgeries it is standard practice to simply use green chakra. This is more time efficient and the healing increase is not worth the extra time required to test a patient's frequency."

Taking a breath Shizune went on, "To utilize medical techniques a medic-nin must be capable of changing their own chakra density at will. Increasing chakra's density is complicated but doable with excellent chakra control. So before we move on I want you to work on your chakra control. There are many techniques to train in chakra control but in Konoha we usually use three. First is the leaf concentration exercise, all you need to do is hold a tree leaf to your forehead for as long as you can. Next you will learn to climb a tree using only your feet; and finally we will move onto walking on the surface of the water."

Naruto just nodded along as Shizune went into a deeper explanation of each of the aforementioned chakra control exercises. He had already mastered these training methods. Yet he knew his chakra control was nowhere near the level of Shizune's control. He decided to simply play dumb and start from beginning. With so little chakra at his disposal, with it restrained by his seal, it was simple to master these rudimentary techniques again. No wonder Sakura was so good at this, with so little chakra leaving his body Naruto could actively gauge the amount needed and minutely change the chakra levels with ease.

Shizune was impressed that Naruto had mastered the three basic chakra exercises in less than a day. She went on to explain that the next step was to incorporate the leaf concentration exercise into both tree climbing and water walking. This proved to be much more difficult than Naruto expected. And while he had some experience with summoning and manipulating chakra in two different portions of his body at the same time, both his hands. It was much more difficult to concentrate on his feet and forehead at the same time.

It was easy to multitask on the same two body parts, such as the hands or feet, but adding a body part that was not normally focused upon while trying to climb a tree was throwing Naruto off even while he was such a small amount of chakra. This would be difficult but possible and would bring closer to what he wanted.

After Shizune dismissed him for the night, Naruto tiredly began the return journey to his hotel room to take a shower before going to find food. As the blonde boy slowly walked back through the town he began to reflect on all he had learned today. While his personal chakra was normally a greenish blue the few instances in which he had consciously drawn on the Kyūbi's chakra it had been a dark orange or red. Maybe it would be possible to combine these two chakras and increase the density he might be able to make his strings invisible to the naked eye.

That would be something. How can you defend against something you cannot see?

Speaking of the fox it had been quiet since his talk with Gaara. It appeared to be irritated that Naruto considered Gaara his brother. As if the very notion was insulting to the fox. Naruto was still trying to figure out how to voluntarily enter into his seal to speak with the fox but he had not really given it much effort as distracted as he had been the past few weeks.

As he opened the door to his room, he found all of his things laid out on the bed and Tsunade sitting by the window. As the sannin turned to face the boy she said, "So brat, why did you leave Konoha?"

* * *

AN read this before you scream at me...

Done, I hope no one is terribly confused… DO NOT FRET if you do not understand the electromagnetic spectrum portion of the chapter. Just understand that every color you see is a certain wavelength of light that your eye perceives as a color. The reason something appears to be a color is not because it gives off this radiation naturally. No it reflects that certain wave length of light; it's why the sky looks blue, while absorbing the other wavelengths. That is all you need to understand.

I didn't want Naruto to simply be perfect with manipulating people in the beginning and it is unlikely that books in Konoha would speak badly about one of its strongest ninja. I will also be addressing Tsunade's gambling next chapter.

Tsunade is quick to anger and without Jiraiya there to limit her temper. Tsunade would have likely killed Naruto for mouthing off at her. Alcohol is a very interesting drug. It affects each person differently based on what they think it should do. Tsunade is violent even without being intoxicated. So while intoxicated she would most likely become even more violent. Also her lack of a speech impediment is also proven in alcoholics. After a while a person can become very good at appearing sober while above the legal limit of 0.08 blood alcohol level in the US.

Yugakure is what real demilitarization looks like! You cannot simply through down weapons an expect peace to just appear. War is as much a way of life as it is a crisis. Soldiers often have a very difficult time returning to civilian life after only a few years spent fighting. Imagine what would happen if fighting was something you had been doing your entire life. Would you simply be able to stop and start working a minimum wage job? I doubt I would be able to.

My hypothesis is based on something stated early in the manga that each person's chakra is a different color. Yet, in the anime it is always shown as blue, minus bijū or "special" chakra that is not cannon.

So I sat down and came up with the theory you just read. Energy gives off light. Whether your eye can see this light or not does not mean that the emission is happening. So if when Naruto gathers a lot of chakra it suddenly becomes visible it means that something must have changed in the chakra. To suddenly go from invisible to visible implies that it was always giving off some form of energy it just couldn't be seen with a normal human eye.

This energy emission is what sensor types and dojutsu users can see. No energy and these abilities would be useless. So I simply took Blue to be the standard color and branched off from there. To sense something it must actually be there.

The idea that healing techniques need different frequencies is actually based in fact. There are a few studies looking into the affect certain wavelengths of light have both on healing wounds (prevent infection and promote healing). As well as the emotional effect certain colors have on the mind (will be covered later).

This science is simply put to paper so Naruto can make his strings invisible to the human eye. Don't worry about anything else. If you are still curious type in the word you do not understand, they are the scientific names, and look it up on Wikipedia. The pages there are available in many languages (I am amazed at how many people from different countries have read my story) and the pages are interactive so you can hop from one to the other if you don't understand a term. Some of these pages are very in-depth though so you can PM me and I will try to help you understand.

Before anyone screams fowl play, I will be detailing for you the anatomical science of Dojutsu (Byakugan and Sharingan) next chapter and how it fits with the theory posted above :)

I hope it makes sense. This last portion is what took so long to write. I wanted to include as much detail as possible without making it overly complex. This information is basic. So to those who have a deeper understanding of the topic please do not think that this is the extent of my knowledge. I just didn't want to confuse anyone with adding information that did not directly impact my story.

This is what happens when a scientist tries to put real world physics and laws into a fictional story. Before I decided to major in psychology it was my goal to go to medical school which means I have taken: Anatomy, Biology(animal), physics, chemistry (organic and inorganic), and a bunch of other classes (all pre-requisites required to get in). As a result I have taken classes in how the human body functions and how sensory information (Sight, touch, balance, hearing, pain, and more) are processed by the brain. About a year ago I had way too much time on my hands and came up with this hypothesis. Which will stay a hypothesis because I have no way of testing it. I am sure that some point of my Hypothesis will not add up, but that is what experimentation is in science, opening up your ideas and findings to the criticism of your peers.

Please review your thoughts on the science! Especially if you have no prior knowledge on the topic! I want to make sure it makes sense. Hope you enjoyed the chapter :) – Louis the Gator


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